What changed in this update
President Trump had ordered the Defense Department to reduce joint exercises with the key U.S. ally, declaring the drills “hostile” toward North Korea.
Event intelligence
Trump Administration Curtails U.S.-South Korea Military Drills
4 connected story threads
Current state
The Trump administration has curtailed joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, cutting the Ulchi Freedom Shield drill short and canceling a separate Marine drill; North Korea has rejected the overture with about 10 short-range ballistic missile launches and a denial of any communication with Washington, while Trump says he will meet Kim Jong-un later this year.
Grounded in 6 reports across 4 sources
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Source reports
NYTimes – US NYT
U.S. Cuts Back Military Drills With South Korea, as Trump Woos Kim Jong-un
President Trump had ordered the Defense Department to reduce joint exercises with the key U.S. ally, declaring the drills “hostile” toward North Korea.
Guardian
North Korea fires 10 missiles day after Trump curtails South Korea joint drills
NPR – World NPR
North Korea fires a suspected missile toward the sea, Japan says
The suspected launch on Thursday comes a day after North Korea shrugged off a U.S. decision to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.
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Euronews
North Korea fires suspected missile as US move to cut drills with South Korea 'changes nothing'
Pyongyang says scaling back US-South Korean military drills does not make them less provocative, as Japan says North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the sea.
News24
Trump says he will meet North Korea's Kim later this year
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would meet Kim Jong Un later this year, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have struck with the leader of nuclear-armed North Korea in his first term.
NYTimes – World NYT
North Korean Official Dismisses Reduced Drills Between US and South Korea
Kim Yo-jong, a powerful adviser and sister of Kim Jong-un, also said she was “unaware” of any communication with Washington, contradicting President Trump’s claim her brother had responded to his outreach.
Euronews
Trump says he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year
Trump's comments come just days after he announced that he had ordered US forces to scale back joint military drills with South Korea, which he said sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to Pyongyang.
Guardian
In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy?
Lee Jae Myung has long pushed for stronger homegrown defences, yet Donald Trump’s move has sparked alarm in some quarters At their first summit , in August last year, the South Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, told Donald Trump: “If you, Mr President, become the peacemaker, then I will assist you as the pacemaker.” The remark at the Oval Office captured the thrust of Lee’s approach to North Korea: dial down the mili…
Guardian
US-led drills to end six days early, South Korea says, amid Trump push for Kim Jong-un talks
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end on 21 August at the request of the US Analysis: In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy? South Korea’s military has confirmed that joint military drills with the US will be cut short, days after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the exercises. In…
