BEIJING/SEOUL, Aug 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the United States began the annual "Ulchi Freedom Shield" joint military exercise on the 17th. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump called the drills a "hostile signal" to North Korea and said he had ordered a "significant reduction" in their scale, also implicitly criticizing South Korea for not aligning with U.S. policy on Iran.
Analysts say Trump's adjustment is not meant to ease regional tensions but to seek attention and diplomatic gains; it reflects the frustration of a policy deadlock on the Korean Peninsula and Iran issues.
This year's exercise for the first time included counter-drone, GPS jamming response and cyberattack response drills. Trump posted on social media on the 16th that he ordered the Defense Department to "significantly reduce" the drills, calling them costly and largely paid for by the United States while sending "wholly inappropriate and hostile signals" to North Korea.
South Korea's government said it is paying close attention to Trump's remarks and hopes the friendly relations between the U.S. and DPRK leaders can develop into meaningful dialogue. On June 30, 2019, Trump shook hands with Kim Jong Un at Panmunjom and stepped across the military demarcation line into the DPRK side.
Source: Xinhua | Original
