South Korea Pres. Stresses US Alliance 08/18 06:27

   South Korea's president said Tuesday a solid alliance with the United States 
underpins national security, after U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt order 
to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises left many many South Koreans 
baffled and concerned.

   SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's president said Tuesday a solid 
alliance with the United States underpins national security, after U.S. 
President Donald Trump's abrupt order to "substantially reduce" joint military 
exercises left many many South Koreans baffled and concerned.

   Trump made the surprise announcement in a social media post just before U.S. 
and South Korean soldiers began Monday's annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, 
which are largely designed to sharpen readiness against North Korean threats.

   Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader 
Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.

   Trump's move was apparently taken without consultations with South Korea and 
meant to reach out to Kim, deepening concerns about the reliability of the 
U.S.-South Korean alliance forged in the turmoil of the 1950-53 Korean War.

   A weakening of the U.S. defense commitment could shake South Korea's 
national security as it has no nuclear weapons and is under the U.S. "nuclear 
umbrella" protection, which guarantees a devastating American response in the 
event of an attack on its ally by nuclear-armed North Korea. The U.S. has about 
28,500 troops in South Korea.

   Confidence in the U.S. has already eroded among many South Koreans because 
of Trump's tariff war and last year's immigration raid in the U.S. state of 
Georgia that led to the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers.

   Trump's announcement "reveals the stark reality of a faltering Korea-U.S. 
alliance, fueling public anxiety," South Korea's Hankook Ilbo newspaper said in 
an editorial Tuesday. "It's absurd that the U.S. appears to treat North Korea 
more respectfully than its ally South Korea."

   South Korean leader calls for solid US alliance

   In a regular Cabinet meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed 
the importance of a firm military alliance with the U.S., saying that "national 
security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid."

   "When we build up our strengths, our value and importance as an ally will 
further grow," said Lee, a liberal who has called for a stronger, self-reliant 
defense posture.

   It was unclear which parts of the 11-day South Korea-U.S. exercises were 
being downsized. The South Korean and U.S. militaries earlier said their drills 
this year would be similar in scale to previous years and incorporate lessons 
from recent conflicts such as North Korea's battlefield experiences on the 
Russia-Ukraine front. They also said the drills are defensive in nature.

   North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused South Korea and the U.S. of plotting 
more provocative drills this year and vowed to respond with "a new level of a 
deterrent."

   Prospects unclear for reengagement between Trump and Kim

   Kim has shunned any talks with the U.S. and South Korea since his earlier 
high-profile diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019.

   Experts say Kim won't likely embrace Trump's overture and return to talks 
anytime soon unless he is promised bigger U.S. concessions. Kim has boosted his 
military and diplomatic credentials in recent years by enlarging his nuclear 
arsenal and aligning with Russia over its war against Ukraine.

   Lee's presidential office on Monday expressed hopes that a "friendly 
relationship" between Trump and Kim would lead to "meaningful dialogue" between 
their countries to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. That invited a 
backlash from conservatives, who criticized Lee's government for allegedly 
prioritizing resumption of Kim-Trump diplomacy over security concerns.

   "South Korea's security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations," 
Park Chung-kwon, a spokesperson for the main conservative opposition People 
Power Party, said in a statement.

   Doubts about US alliance grow in South Korea

   In his social media post, Trump said the military exercises with South Korea 
are not only costly but "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and 
hostile" to North Korea, which he said "has been unthreatening and respectful" 
during his time in the White House. Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea 
would join the U.S. in the "denuclearization" of Iran, "and they said, 'No 
thanks!'"

   Lee's office said South Korea and the U.S. are closely discussing practical 
and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of 
navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

   "Trump thinks of an alliance as an investment that should pay regular 
dividends, or a rainy-day fund he can withdraw from when another project isn't 
going well," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

   "South Korean leaders understand that relations with the Trump 
administration will be a constant renegotiation linking economic and security 
issues. Seoul is thus cautiously responding to recent developments within that 
framework," Easley said.