South Korea urges North Korea to halt derogatory remarks

South Korea has urged North Korea to cease “derogatory remarks” following the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to shorten the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military drills. The drills, originally scheduled for 11 days, were reduced to five days by the Pentagon at the direction of President Trump, who cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The South Korean Presidential Office responded to statements from Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Kim Jong-un, who criticized South Korean President Lee Jae-myung for “double-dealing behaviour” and accused him of currying favor with the United States while simultaneously discussing independent military buildup. Seoul stated that such criticism does not assist in building mutual trust and called for North Korea to pursue peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

President Lee has publicly supported the decision to scale back the exercises and has emphasized the need for strengthening defense mechanisms and potentially reclaiming wartime operational control from the U.S. by 2030. The South Korean government expressed its intention to maintain close cooperation with the U.S. while attempting to facilitate renewed dialogue between North Korea and the United States.