Seoul, South Korea - South Korea has publicly backed President Donald Trump's latest efforts to open dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including Trump's push to reduce joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.
"We share President Trump's efforts to create conditions for dialogue to establish a peace regime on the Korean peninsula, even if that means reducing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States," President Lee Jae Myung said on X late on Wednesday.
Lee also said he "fully empathizes" with Trump that South Korea should take responsibility for security on the Korean peninsula.
About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea. Since the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul has relied heavily on the US military presence to deter external attacks, much as NATO allies in Europe have depended on US security guarantees.
Trump said over the weekend that he would significantly scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim. The drills, which began on Monday, sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to a country that had posed no threat and behaved respectfully toward him during his presidency, Trump said on Truth Social.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday that the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would last half as long as originally planned and end on Friday at the request of the US. South Korean media reported it was the first time that the major annual exercise had been shortened in this way.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said his government had not been informed before Trump's post was published.
North Korea has sharply criticized the exercises. Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's sister, said on Wednesday, according to state news agency KCNA, that reducing their scale and duration did not change their "provocative and offensive nature."