Seoul, Washington to halve joint drills as Trump reportedly seeks summit with North Korea's Kim

South Korea and the United States announced they will reduce the scale of their joint military exercises by half, according to a statement from Seoul's defense ministry on January 15, 2026. President Donald Trump has reportedly sought a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though neither the White House nor North Korea's government has confirmed the meeting. The reduction in joint drills follows a pattern of scaled-back exercises during Trump's first term as president. South Korea's defense ministry said the decision reflects efforts to create conditions for diplomatic engagement on the Korean Peninsula.

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