South Korean FM: US did not inform of plan to cut military drills
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has said his government received no prior notification regarding US President Donald Trump’s directive to reduce joint military exercises between the two countries.
“Neither our government nor US officials knew what President Trump wrote on Truth Social,” Cho said during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Wednesday.
“We were not informed in advance,” he said.
Regarding the reduction of the ongoing South Korea-US joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, Cho said Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back is believed to be conducting “close consultations” with his US counterpart.
“Because our defence minister is involved in the discussions, I do not think it can be called a unilateral notification,” he said.
On whether the reduction of the exercise could affect plans for the transfer of wartime operational control, Cho said Washington “should not be able to use the reduction as a reason to delay the transfer of control again, because the exercise was reduced at the request of the US.”
Regarding the possibility of a high-level meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this autumn, Cho said such a meeting, if it takes place, would be a “new turning point.”
“The (South Korean) government has made thorough preparations to open a channel of dialogue with North Korea, and we will consult closely with the US side so as not to waste this opportunity,” he said.
Cho said Seoul has conveyed this intention to Washington but has not yet received a response. He added that the government has also requested clarification on the details of what Trump described as recent communication exchanges between Washington and Pyongyang.
When asked whether the US might sideline South Korea in efforts to build dialogue with North Korea, Cho said his ministry would promptly take necessary steps through consultations with relevant agencies in the US.
He stressed that his side would make every effort to ensure the South Korea-US alliance does not weaken.