Turin, 19 Aug. (LaPresse) – The Seoul government had not been informed in advance of US President Donald Trump’s directive to scale back joint military exercises. This was stated by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, as reported by Yonhap. “Neither our government nor US officials knew what President Trump had written on his Truth profile,” Cho told the National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification. “We were not given any advance notice,” he said. Regarding the scaling back of the joint South Korea–US military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, Cho explained that Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back is in “close consultation” with his US counterparts. On the possibility that the scaling back of the exercise might affect the planned transfer of wartime operational control, the minister stated that Washington “should not be able to use the scaling back as a pretext to further delay the transfer, as the exercises are being scaled back at the request of the United States”. As for the possibility of a summit in the autumn between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Cho explained that, should it go ahead, it would mark “a new turning point”. “The South Korean government is making thorough preparations to open channels of dialogue with North Korea, and we will consult closely with the United States so as not to miss this opportunity,” he added.
US–South Korea, Seoul: “We were not informed in advance of Trump’s order regarding the exercises”
Turin, 19 Aug. (LaPresse) – The Seoul government had not been informed in advance of US President Donald Trump’s directive to scale back joint military exercises. This was stated by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, as reported by Yonhap. “Neither our government nor US officials knew what President Trump had written on his Truth profile,” Cho told the National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification. “We were not given any advance notice,” he said. Regarding the scaling back of the joint South Korea–US military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, Cho explained that Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back is in “close consultation” with his US counterparts. On the possibility that the scaling back of the exercise might affect the planned transfer of wartime operational control, the minister stated that Washington “should not be able to use the scaling back as a pretext to further delay the transfer, as the exercises are being scaled back at the request of the United States”. As for the possibility of a summit in the autumn between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Cho explained that, should it go ahead, it would mark “a new turning point”. “The South Korean government is making thorough preparations to open channels of dialogue with North Korea, and we will consult closely with the United States so as not to miss this opportunity,” he added.