▲ President Trump
Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he would scale back joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, the Japanese government has expressed concern that it could weaken deterrence against North Korea.
A high-ranking official at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized to Kyodo News that "the solidarity of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan remains unshaken," while also voicing apprehension over a potential reduction in the deterrence posture against North Korea.
The official added that amid North Korea's ongoing advancement of nuclear and missile technologies and deepening military cooperation with Russia, "the posture to counter threats must not be weakened."
The Foreign Affairs official also stated that they would like to interpret President Trump's remarks as not signifying a shift in U.S. strategy toward North Korea.
On the 16th local time, President Trump posted on social media that he had ordered a reduction in joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, adding that he maintains a "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
He also argued that joint South Korea-U.S. exercises are costly and that the United States bears the majority of the expenses.
Following reports of President Trump's remarks, Japanese media outlets broke the news urgently, showing significant interest.
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