South Korea hopes for talks between US and North Korea after Trump downsizes military drills

On 17 August 2026, Trump said the US would 'substantially reduce' military drills with South Korea and ordered the Pentagon to cut them. South Korea said its joint drills are on despite Trump's objections. South Korea's government said it hopes for talks between the US and North Korea, and stressed close cooperation with the US. Die Presse wrote that a Trump posting about North Korea shocked South Korea.