Trump cuts back exercises with South Korea, says Kim Jong Un treats him with ‘great respect’

U.S. Army’s armored vehicles gather to cross a river at a training field in Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

President Donald Trump said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un treats him with “great respect,” a day after ordering the Pentagon to scale back annual joint military exercises with South Korea, which he criticized for not joining the U.S. war in Iran.

South Korea on Monday expressed hopes for resumption of diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea to ease animosities on the Korean Peninsula, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to cut military exercises with South Korea caused concerns it might hurt the allies’ readiness against North Korean threats.

Trump cited his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the decision, a likely bid to reengage with Kim, who views U.S.-South Korean military exercises as invasion rehearsals. But experts say the North Korean leader, now emboldened by his advancing nuclear arsenal and expanding military cooperation with Russia, won’t likely return to talks unless he is assured of serious U.S. concessions.