Trump's North Korea overture triggers fears for US alliances

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he had instructed the Pentagon to limit the scale of US involvement in military exercises with South Korean units planned for this week, causing alarm among South Koreans and experts concerned at the deteriorating security situation in Northeast Asia

In a social media post, Trump said he had ordered the US to "substantially reduce" its involvement, claiming the exercises were "expensive."

Trump added that US involvement in the exercises would send a "signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said has been "unthreatening and respectful" to his presidency.

Trump's statement seemed to disregard North Korea's recent spate of missile tests , and Pyongyang threatening last Friday a "new level" of nuclear deterrence in response to the planned drills, which North Korean state media called "a rehearsal for an invasion war."

The US president also hinted that his decision was in part influenced by the South Korean government's refusal to assist in the "denuclearization" of Iran.

On Monday, Trump doubled down on his decision to limit the scope and scale of the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which started the same day, telling reporters in the White House that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his overture for a resumption of talks.

Paring back the annual exercise comes as Kim is emboldened by a deepening alliance with Russia . At the same time, Pyongyang in recent years has removed foundational guardrails of inter-Korean relations by officially abandoning the decades-long goal of reunification, while rewriting its constitution to designate South Korea as its principal enemy.

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