South Korean President Lee Jae Myung praised the friendly relationship between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the rapport could help revive diplomatic talks with Pyongyang.
Lee’s comments came shortly after Trump reduced U.S. military presence in South Korea, a move similar to one he pursued during his first administration as he sought to create an opening for negotiations with the nuclear-armed North.
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“We expect friendly relations between the North Korean and U.S. leaders to lead to meaningful North Korea-U.S. talks and the start of discussions aimed at advancing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Lee said. He pledged that South Korea would act as a “pacemaker” in efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.
Before Trump announced he was reducing joint military operations in South Korea, the two countries were preparing for the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, an 11-day joint military drill involving roughly 18,000 South Korean troops alongside U.S. forces. The exercise was designed to strengthen the allies’ readiness to respond to a potential North Korean attack.
Trump said Sunday that he had recently asked Lee whether South Korea wanted to participate in U.S. efforts to “Denuclearize the Islamic Republic of Iran,” but that Seoul declined.
Since taking office in June 2025, Lee has pursued a policy of “peaceful coexistence” with North Korea, adopting a more conciliatory approach toward Pyongyang than his predecessor. His administration has offered talks without preconditions and repeatedly stressed the importance of reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly highlighted his relationship with Kim. The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program. On Saturday, Trump posted a photo of himself with Kim on social media, writing, “Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!”
Trump and Kim have not met since the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Although Trump used a reduction in U.S. military deployments as a way to open diplomatic doors with North Korea during his first administration, the geopolitical landscape has changed significantly.
North Korea is now considered more capable militarily, with a larger nuclear arsenal, greater battlefield experience, and stronger economic and military ties with Russia and China despite international sanctions. Moreover, North Korean troops have gained combat experience through their involvement alongside Russian forces in the war in Ukraine.
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The United States, meanwhile, is operating under a different strategic calculus due to the war in Iran. The Pentagon shifted dozens of missile interceptors and other military assets from South Korea to the Middle East. The conflict has also drawn U.S. naval resources away from the Indo-Pacific, with the Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington heading toward the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The shifting military posture could create an opening for renewed diplomacy with North Korea, but it also raises questions about the future of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and whether a reduced American presence would strengthen or weaken Washington’s leverage over Pyongyang.
