While most of the agreements confirmed to have come out of the Trump-Kim summit were pretty straightforward, advancing on the already discussed denuclearization, the meeting also ended with an announcement that the US will suspend all joint military exercises with South Korea.
US war games in South Korea are a big source of tension between the two sides, with Trump conceding they are “provocative.” Tensions between the US and North Korea have historically soared in the spring, when the largest exercises take place.
War games even almost derailed the summit. After a shorter than usual spring exercise, the US and South Korea had aerial war games near the North Korean border, with US nuclear-capable bombers. This led to North Korean condemnation, and Trump briefly cancelling the summit.
South Korea even had to intervene after that diplomatic row, and convince the US not to follow that up with another war game. Interestingly, South Korea now says it wants “clarity” on the end to the war games.
Though the Pentagon has claimed all those war games, most of which simulate attacks on North Korea, are “necessary,” analysts say they doubt suspending them will have any real impact on US military capabilities.
Declining tensions with North Korea and the lack of major war games is also likely to spark discussions about cutting US troop levels in South Korea. There is really little reason for the troops to be there as it is, and without the war games they don’t even have the annual chance to simulate being a military need.
The end of the war games is well-timed for the first summit in what is expected to be a series of meetings, as it both has a large visible impact and allows for bigger deals to be built upon this in the months to come.
Maybe Trump should do all the negotiating by himself. Great news that certainly will get trashed from all different directions.
This is very good news.
I am not a Trump supporter. But he has played the diplomatic game with Kim well so far. For the first time in history there is a diplomatic process between the US and North Korea.
Suspending the War Games is a smart move. Americans don’t understand the effect of the War games on North Korea’s sense of security. Imagine NK radars tracking dozens of incoming fighter/bombers flying mock attack runs while amphibious ships steam toward their shores. If the planes don’t turn around before crossing into Korean territory, the NK’s would have no time to react. They have no way of knowing if the games are a cover for a surprise attack.
So this is a big win for North Korea at small cost to the USA which can resume the exercises at any time. But the suspension gives the NK’s a strong incentive not to resume their nuclear development program. This was the correct move for Trump and the USA. And when the South Koreans get a chance to mull it over, they will realize it was the correct move for them too. SK’s long term security will come from a treaty with NK and detente or reunification, not US military occupation and exercises.
It is still too early in the diplomatic game to predict success or failure. But there is a diplomatic game in Korea for the first time since World War II. And that is a win for the world.
Even though Kim took the initiative and Moon nurtured it, it is nonetheless to Trump’s credit that he seized the opportunity to engage in direct diplomacy with North Korea, a process that his predecessors all rejected.
Finally, of course the US military would of looked kinda silly holding war exercises without South Korea participating.
Trump as the CinC has the full authority to determine force training, including war games. Full stop. Mattis said “no surprises.” The senators should shut up about it.
War games and other US and/or US-S.Korean policies did not prevent N.Korea from making nuclear weapons and means to send them into air.
In any case, all Kim got thus far is oodles of promises and not even one of the tiniest goodies.
And it seems Kim will not get one good act from Trump even when he starts to destroy his NW and lets US military into the country to witness it.
So, Kim that stupid or stupid as it seems to me if it is true that he’d “quickly” begin to do away with NW????
No, no way!!!! So, what’s up? Disagreements already?!!!!
The US Govt s “pivot to Asia” is in comple tatters.
That notion of “pivot” (isolation of China) was misguided to begin with.
I suspect the media is making bigger hay out of this than deserved. *Some* SKoreans probably are wondering what it all means. That’s normal. I’m sure Moon is very happy.