USFK commander visits defense minister after Trump orders 'reduced' joint drills

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson held an unscheduled meeting with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back at the Defense Ministry in central Seoul Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump called for reduced joint South Korea-U.S. drills.

The meeting, the contents of which were not immediately disclosed, came a day after Trump said in Washington on Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has responded to his overtures for dialogue, stressing that it was "very positive.”

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, on his part, stressed the same day that Seoul has been in close coordination with Washington regarding South Korea-U.S. joint exercises and the combined defense posture. On Monday, Seoul and Washington began their annual large-scale summertime combined military exercise, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), set to run through Aug. 27. Pyongyang has denounced the joint drills as war rehearsals, and reducing or canceling such exercises has often been seen as a precondition for dialogue.

Regarding Trump’s recent remarks toward Kim, Wi said that Seoul hopes that the “friendly relationship between the leaders of North Korea and the United States will lead to meaningful dialogue."

On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he instructed U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth “to substantially reduce” the joint military exercises, claiming that he was “not happy” with the drills as he cited his “good relationship” with Kim.

When asked by a reporter at a press availability in the Oval Office on Monday why Kim had not responded to his offers for dialogue, Trump responded, "Yeah, he has,” stressing that the North Korean leader has “always treated me with great respect." However, he didn’t provide further details.

The Blue House, in turn, is paying close attention to the possibility that this overture could serve as a catalyst to restart dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, which is in line with the Lee Jae Myung administration’s vision of reduced inter-Korean tensions and its push for a phased peace initiative.

Wi stressed that Seoul would play an active role if talks between Pyongyang and Washington resume, in line with its stance on “necessary diplomatic efforts as a pacemaker for North Korea-U.S. dialogue, based on close cooperation with the United States.”

The top security adviser said South Korea "looks forward to the resumption" of discussions that could lead to "substantial progress toward peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula." 

He noted that President Lee had “lengthy consultations” with Trump on various occasions, including at the Group of 7 (G7) summit in France in June and the NATO summit in Turkey last month.

During their unofficial talks during the G7 summit, Lee said Trump told him it was time to pay attention to the North Korean issue. Lee, in response, suggested a phased approach to the denuclearization of North Korea and told Trump that the United States is seen as North Korea’s only dialogue counterpart.

"Our government has continued to coordinate with the U.S. side on joint exercises and training based on the solid South Korea-U.S. alliance, while simultaneously strengthening self-reliance capabilities to solidify national security," Wi said. “We will continue this cooperation in the future."

Regarding Trump's statement on Lee’s lack of willingness to participate in efforts to denuclearize Iran, Wi said, “We have actively engaged in discussions with the international community, including the United States, from the very beginning regarding the Iran war and the freedom of passage in the Strait of Hormuz.”

He added Seoul has been “reviewing practical ways to make military contributions while taking into account the readiness of the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures."

Wi then stressed that Seoul has “keen interest” in the international nuclear non-proliferation issue especially because Pyongyang has violated the Non-Proliferation Treaty through attempting nuclear armament.

In his Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump wrote that in a “somewhat unrelated” matter, he had recently asked President Lee to join Washington in the denuclearization of Iran, but that Seoul had said “no thanks.”

Trump’s latest overtures to Kim come as the 60-day deadline for the United States and Iran to reach a deal toward ending their war passed, with the U.S. president stating he is in no rush as he stressed in another Truth Social post on Monday that his top goal is to ensure Tehran “cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon.”

This is not the first time Trump has flaunted his relations with Kim, posting a photo on Truth Social Saturday of their meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom on June 30, 2019, captioned: “Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!”

The two leaders developed a bromance of sorts over three summits during Trump's first term, meeting in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019 and at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. During this period, Seoul and Washington also postponed or reduced the scope of joint drills, though ultimately, negotiations fell apart as a denuclearization deal failed to materialize.

The Pentagon in turn said in a statement Monday that it is "actively" working on executing Trump's directive on the allies' military exercises, after earlier stating that there has been no change in its position.

In turn, local reports indicated that the two countries have transferred the Combined Forces Command post from the wartime bunker CP Tango in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, to the Camp Humphreys base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, indicating a possible readjustment of the scope of the exercise.

In a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee told aides that the transfer of wartime operational control from the United States needs to proceed without disruption within his five-year term and urged faster progress on the nuclear-powered submarine project, a symbol of the future of the bilateral alliance.

"We must prepare thoroughly against security threats so that no gaps, however small, emerge not only in the military but across all areas of the economy and society," Lee said during an Ulchi Cabinet meeting, convened alongside the Ulchi drills.

He said the UFS is an occasion to "take a closer look at our defense posture, address any shortcomings and further strengthen the country’s overall crisis response capabilities,” stressing that “strong national defense is the most fundamental foundation for protecting people’s lives.”

Lee also presided over a plenary meeting of the National Security Council that day and reviewed the country’s ability to mobilize its full capabilities in wartime, calling for the establishment of peace but also stressing the need to “prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

He underscored that the UFS is defensive training aimed at protecting people’s lives and safety and is not intended to threaten North Korea or heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]