Donald Trump’s blunt remarks offer South Korea an opportunity

South Korea’s security strategy has rested for more than seven decades on a single pillar: its alliance with the United States. That pillar has absorbed one blow after another during Donald Trump’s second term as US president. This week brought a fresh signal that has strained the relationship.In a social media post, Trump criticised joint US-South Korea military exercises, calling them “costly” and saying they send an “inappropriate and hostile” message to a North Korea he described as “unthreatening and respectful” during his presidency. As a result, he said, the drills would be “substantially” reduced.Trump also praised his relationship with Kim Jong-un and later claimed to the press that the North Korean leader had responded positively to American overtures for dialogue. The State Department reiterated Washington’s readiness to talk to Pyongyang without preconditions. At the time of writing, North Korea had yet to make an official response through state media.