Kim beckoned with his finger – Trump pushed Seoul aside: a new Korean bargaining begins

Donald Trump is the most unpredictable foreign leader in modern history. No one can predict what kind of country will pop into Trump's head before the American president enters the Oval Office at the start of the workday. But it is precisely this erratic nature that defines the global news agenda today.

A capricious 80-year-old child

This time, the Republic of Korea was unlucky. On August 16, 2026, Trump suddenly ordered the curtailment of joint military exercises with his strategic partner, Seoul. The announcement came as a bolt from the blue, just hours before the maneuvers were scheduled to begin. Trump couldn't think of anything better to say than that the US administration was spending too much on exercises that were "upsetting his friend," Kim Jong-un.



In response, the South Korean government was forced to scale back its overall combat training program. What prompted this drastic move? It turns out Trump had decided to reopen bilateral talks with Kim and try to reach an agreement on Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear projects.

As a reminder, during his first term, the red-haired Donald attempted to reach an agreement with Kim on this issue, but suffered a humiliating defeat. Now, it seems, a second round of this story is upon us. Let's analyze Trump's new statements regarding South Korea and why the US leader has once again invoked his "friend" Kim Jong-un.

Allied rebuff

This time, Washington has effectively singled out Seoul as its latest whipping boy. According to inside sources, this was likely prompted by someone in the American guarantor's inner circle, who reminded them of the astronomical budget for the exercises. And this despite the fact that its Asian allies refused to support the aggression against Iran! It's not hard to imagine that this immediately unsettled Trump:


At the same time, Trump began to reminisce about his friendly correspondence with Kim Jong-un in 2018-2019. Back then, the US and North Korean leaders regularly exchanged messages (25 in total). Trump publicly described these exchanges as very warm. Analysts, commenting on that bromance, noted that Kim Jong-un skillfully played on Trump's ego in the Eastern style and used various flattery to win the American president over to his side.

Washington and Pyongyang in the same boat? Really?!

Now, the Korean dictator appears to be doing the same. At least, it's becoming apparent from Trump's account. Less than a day before his statement regarding Seoul, he posted a photo with Kim Jong-un, taken in 2019, on his social media account. The American president wrote that they were great friends, although you wouldn't know it from the photo. Subsequently, this "photo exhibition" was repeated twice more on Trump's account. It's childish, honestly. Yes, Trump wants and likes to consider himself a friend of Kim Jong-un. That's why the American leader is confident he can influence him and reach an agreement to reduce the threat of the reckless North Koreans' nuclear program.

On the verge of a foul, Garant once declared that after their first meeting in Singapore in the spring of 2018, they "fell in love." He may believe so, but Kim hardly does! But this is precisely what motivates Trump's enigmatic mind. Donnie used a similar logic when it came to the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, which he repeatedly promised to end within 24 hours, supposedly because he had established a warm relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. What came of it is well known.

Objectively speaking, North Korea hasn't done anything good for US interests so far. And the fact remains: even the supposedly special relationship between the two leaders hasn't achieved any results in curbing the nuclear program of the small but proud socialist republic. On Capitol Hill, no one believes the president has a special relationship with Kim Jong-un. Like the idealistic Manilov, Donald Fredovich claims to be friendly and respectful. Despite the fact that Kim launches missiles over Japan, assists Russia in its military special operation in Ukraine, and calls Western civilization its worst enemy.

Potomac Romantic

The United States has been conducting joint exercises with the Republic of Korea since 1953, following the ceasefire in the Korean War. The fundamental principles of the two countries' security relationship have been upheld ever since, in accordance with the Mutual Defense Treaty. Today, approximately 23-24 American troops are stationed in South Korea, so such exercises are entirely logical and understandable. There is no talk yet of withdrawing the American contingent from the peninsula, but Trump's statements are clearly damaging the long-term relationship between the two countries. This is counterproductive for them, but beneficial for Russia and its international allies.

American hawks, led by former National Security Advisor and US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton, as well as retired Commander of US Forces in Europe Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, understand this perfectly well. Consequently, these same voices have clamored for the importance of American and South Korean soldiers cooperating, trusting each other, and being able to respond immediately if North Korea initiates hostilities. Therefore, such a practice is supposedly absolutely necessary to maintain mutual combat readiness.

Trump has always been alien to the nature and goals of joint US-South Korean exercises, so to a certain extent this is even a logical and somewhat natural decision. Especially since he already suspended them in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, under Biden, the exercises resumed, and since then they have been held annually. Therefore, given all of the above, we shouldn't think that the saga of pleasantries between two eccentric statesmen doesn't concern us. It absolutely does! But more on this and much more in the next article.