News of Bahrain
World18 August 20262 min read

Trump hints at Kim contacts after scaling back Seoul drills

By NVR. Email: online@newsofbahrain.com Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un responded to recent diplomatic overtures. The statement came shortly after Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea

Sara Al-Khalifa

Published 18 August 2026, 5:00 · Updated 18:30

Link copied
Trump hints at Kim contacts after scaling back Seoul drills

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un responded to recent diplomatic overtures. The statement came shortly after Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump described the communication as ‘very positive’. He asserted that his personal rapport and mutual understanding with Kim foster regional safety far better than military maneuvers.

Trump linked downsizing the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills directly to South Korea's refusal to assist US military operations against Iran. He openly questioned long-standing American security commitments to allies that decline to support international missions.

The strategic pivot coincides with the redeployment of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington from the Pacific to the Middle East. Meanwhile, US lawmakers criticized the drill reduction, warning it signals the abandonment of key allies.

In response, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's office stressed that joint drills remain strictly defensive. However, Seoul welcomed the diplomatic momentum, expressing hope that leader-level chemistry could restart nuclear talks.

Sara Al-Khalifa

Share your reaction!

Join the conversation

Sign in to leave a comment. Every comment is reviewed before it goes live.

No comments yet. Start the conversation.