Trump's USA American Defense

South Korea hopes for dialogue after Trump's announcement

South Korea hopes that Donald Trump's relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un can help start new talks between the countries, the presidential office said according to news agencies.

The statement comes after Trump announced that the United States will reduce its participation in joint military exercises with South Korea. Seoul is now reviewing the announcement and will discuss the details with Washington.

Trump has justified the decision with his good relationship with Kim Jong-Un and described the military exercises as costly and hostile.

Analysis: Trump's "gift" to Kim may make South Korea rejoice

Donald Trump's decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea is being harshly criticized by The Atlantic's Tom Nichols. He describes it as Trump "punishing" a loyal ally for his own mistakes in Iran while at the same time luring America's enemies to doubt the country's willingness to defend its friends.

CNN's Brad Lendon is on the same track. The announcement risks raising concerns that the US military is straining too hard to both support its allies and deter their opponents. At the same time, it is a "gift" to Kim Jong-Un without any concessions from North Korea, he writes.

But in Seoul, the announcement can also be welcomed. NYT's Choe Sang-Hun writes that President Lee Jae-Myung has long wanted to reduce tensions and bring about direct talks between Trump and Kim.

- Lee's government is probably secretly celebrating, says Lee Byong-Chul at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies research institute in Seoul.

At the same time, North Korea's stronger position has made the path to new negotiations considerably more difficult.