US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, stating that they get along well. This comes just days after Trump scaled back joint military drills with South Korea, saying it sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to Pyongyang. According to Trump, North Korea has 57 "very powerful nuclear weapons". The planned meeting would be the first between Trump and Kim since Trump's inauguration as president in 2017.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would be scaling back US military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good" relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and claiming that the exercises were expensive. The annual drills, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, were originally scheduled to run from August 13-27, but have been reduced in scope and scale at the direction of Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The decision has caused alarm among South Koreans, who rely heavily on the US for their security, as well as other US allies in the region. North Korea has been threatening a "new level" of nuclear deterrence in response to the planned drills, which Pyongyang state media called "a rehearsal for an invasion war."
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who had previously floated the idea of reducing joint military exercises with the US as a tool for drawing North Korea back to the table, has renewed his calls for wartime operational control of the military and progress on South Korea's nuclear submarine programme.
The decision to cut short the drills marks a significant shift in Trump's approach to North Korea, which he had previously criticized for its missile tests and threats. Trump added that US involvement in the exercises would send a "signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said has been "unthreatening and respectful" to his presidency.
The move has also sparked concerns among analysts and US senators about Trump's willingness to prioritize North Korean denuclearization over South Korea's security. Some have criticized Trump's approach as naive, citing the recent spate of North Korean missile tests and threats.
Written for “US-South Korea Military Tensions” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 21 other(s) covering the same event.
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The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
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Leaning score +0.55 for article 1602 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-21
Trump's comments come just days after he announced that he had ordered US forces to scale back joint military drills with South Korea, which he said sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to Pyongyang.
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he → come → Pyongyang
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, days after scaling back joint US-South Korea military drills.
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he → say → drills
Trump also provided an unusually specific assessment of Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities, claiming the country now has "57 very power nuclear weapons".
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country → provide → weapons
Trump was responding to questions from reporters about his recent hints regarding communications with the North Korean leader, while on a tour of a new helipad at the White House.
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Trump → respond → House
While he refused to say whether the pair were exchanging letters, he said he gets "along with him very well."
"And you know what, the fact that I get along with him, that's a good thing not a bad thing.
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that → refuse → him
He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons.
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He → have → weapons
Should have never allowed it to happen," he said, adding: "If I were president, I wouldn't have allowed it.
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I → allow → it
But he's got them."
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he → get → them
"I know Kim Jong-un very well, and he's going to be fine," he continued.
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he → know → un
"As long as we have a smart president, he's going to be fine.
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he → have → president
If we have a dumb president, then he's probably not going to be so fine."
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he → have → president
Trump gave no further details on the planned meeting with Kim, which would be their first since Trump's first term in the White House.
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which → give → House
The president's comments come just days after he announced that he had ordered US forces to scale back "costly" joint military drills with South Korea, which he said sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to Pyongyang.
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he → come → Pyongyang
In a post on Truth Social announcing the decision, Trump described North Korea as a "Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful."
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Trump → announce → Country
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in April that North Korea was showing a "very serious increase" in its capability to produce nuclear weapons.
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Korea → say → weapons
Speaking in Seoul, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the agency, said Pyongyang's nuclear programme was estimated at "a few dozen warheads."
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programme → speak → warheads
"We have been able to confirm that there is a rapid increase in the operation of the Yongbyon 5-megawatt reactor," Grossi went on, adding that they had also observed a rise in operational activity at the reactor's reprocessing unit as well as "the activation of other facilities."
"All of them point to a very serious increase in the capabilities of the DPRK in the area of nuclear weapons," he said.
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he → confirm → weapons
In July, North Korean state media reported that Pyongyang had also vowed to strengthen its nuclear force "in quality and quantity" as Kim touted the need for a strong military to guarantee "true peace."
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Kim → report → peace
North Korea has carried out six confirmed nuclear weapons tests since 2006.
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Korea → carry → 2006
