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South Korea on Monday said it is closely consulting with the United States on ways to make practical and military contributions to international discussions on a ceasefire in Iran and efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean Yonhap News Agency.
As per Yonhap News Agency, the presidential office also said Seoul and Washington have closely coordinated on maintaining a firm combined defence posture and conducting joint drills and exercises, and will continue such coordination on related matters. The development comes as US President Donald Trump has instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and describing the drills as "costly" and "inappropriate". In a post on Truth Social on Sunday (local time), Trump said he was "not happy" that the United States had previously agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea. "Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump said. In Sunday's post, Trump also said he had recently asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung whether Seoul would like to join the effort to denuclearise Iran, and was told, "No thanks." "The government takes note of President Trump's social media message," the presidential office in Seoul said. The post came as the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise between Seoul and Washington was set to begin Monday in South Korea. North Korea has long condemned the annual drills as a rehearsal for an invasion. The Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) also expressed hope that the friendly relations between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could contribute to renewed dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. "We expect friendly relations between the North Korean and US leaders to lead to meaningful North Korea-US talks and the start of discussions aimed at advancing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Cheong Wa Dae said, pledging to play a role as a "pacemaker" to that end. The White House has repeatedly affirmed that Trump remains open to dialogue with Pyongyang "without any preconditions." Trump had three in-person meetings with Kim during his first term: in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019 and at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. The joint military drills, named "Ulchi Freedom Shield", are scheduled to begin on August 17 and continue until August 27. The exercises will include training to counter drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks as the US and its allies seek to adapt to North Korea's evolving military capabilities. (ANI)
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