South Korea reaffirms strong alliance with US despite Trump order

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:11:55 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that a strong alliance with the United States is essential for the country's national security.

His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly ordered a "substantial reduction" in joint military exercises, leaving many South Koreans confused and worried.

US-South Korea joint military drills cut short following Trump directive

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:32:56 GMT

Seoul [South Korea], August 21 (ANI): In a significant policy shift, South Korea and the United States wrapped up their primary theatre-level combined military exercise nearly a week ahead of schedule following orders from US President Donald Trump, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, typically an 11-day event focused on command-post simulations and live field manoeuvres f

South Korea, US, Japan hold urgent talks after North Korea fires missiles despite US drill rollback

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:29:56 GMT

Seoul [South Korea], August 21 (ANI): Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea launched a barrage of around 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongyang, South Korean media reported.

The missiles that were launched a day ago prompted urgent trilateral consultations among senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan on Friday.

As per

As US scales back military exercises with S Korea, Japan says N Korea launches suspected ballistic missile

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:32:07 GMT

Tokyo [Japan], August 20 (ANI): Japan on Thursday said North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile, issuing an emergency alert and directing authorities to gather and analyse information on the launch and ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels and other assets, amid US moves to scale back its upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea on the Korean Peninsula targeted at Pyongyang.

Japan's Prime

Chinese FM urges strategic cooperation, mutual trust in China-S. Korea ties

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:45:55 GMT

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Thursday that China and South Korea should strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and pursue strategic cooperation in political, economic, trade and security fields.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding a strategic dialogue with Wi Sung-lac, South

Trump says he wasn't 'happy' when South Korea declined to help US with Hormuz

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:29:55 GMT

Washington, DC [US], August 20 (ANI): US President Donald Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea over its unwillingness to assist Washington in securing the Strait of Hormuz, whilst questioning the conduct of large-scale joint military manoeuvres targeted at North Korea, a development underscoring friction over burden-sharing and regional security dynamics.

Speaking to reporters at the White House,

Trump says Kim Jong Un "didn't like" Biden, Obama but "likes me"; highlights ties making US, allies safer

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:57:58 GMT

Washington, DC [US], August 20 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said he shares a 'good relationship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, asserting that their engagement has helped make the United States and its allies safer.

'I do have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, as you know, you've seen. He didn't like Biden, he didn't like Obama, he didn't like anybody, but he likes me, and

Trump says he will meet Kim Jong-un this year

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:08:49 GMT

The Pentagon earlier scaled back joint military drills with South Korea after the US president called them hostile to Pyongyang

US President Donald Trump has said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, days after ordering joint military drills with South Korea scaled back over what he called their 'hostile' signal to Pyongyang.

During his first presidency, Trump

Trump says he will meet Kim Jong-un this year (VIDEO)

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:08:49 GMT

The Pentagon earlier scaled back joint military drills with South Korea after the US president called them "hostile" to Pyongyang

US President Donald Trump has said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, days after ordering joint military drills with South Korea scaled back over what he ca

"We were not notified in advance": Seoul says Trump's drill cuts came without prior notice

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:57:54 GMT

Seoul [South Korea], August 19 (ANI): South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Wednesday that Seoul was not informed beforehand about US President Donald Trump's decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported.

'Neither our government nor US officials knew what President Trump wrote on his Truth Social,' Cho told the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affair

Joint military drill cut short at Washington's request, confirms South Korean media

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:31:31 GMT

Seoul [South Korea], August 19 (ANI): Following the decision by US President Donald Trump, the joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) between the United States of America and South Korea, which commenced earlier this week have been cut short, with the scheduled field training also set to be reduced, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency confirmed, citing the military.

As per Yonhap, the military drill was

South Korea to send first container ship through Arctic route

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 02:47:12 GMT

The Middle East conflict, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, has roiled global shipping, sending governments and shipping firms scrambling to seek alternative routes.

Sailing from Busan New Port, the container ship -- the "PanStar Acro" -- will sail to Europe via the Arctic, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable.

"The ship will depart at 8 pm (1100 GMT)

DPRK fires barrage of ballistic missiles amid US-ROK drills: Seoul

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:58:44 GMT

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a DPRK missile test, at a train station in Seoul, August 20, 2026. /VCG

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday launched more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea amid ongoing joint exercises by the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff

Trump says he will meet North Koreas Kim Jong-un later this year

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:15:53 GMT

US PresidentDonald Trumpsaid Wednesday that he would meetKimJong-un later this year, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have struck with the leader of nuclear-armedNorth Koreain his first term.

Trump told reporters at theWhite Houseit was important to "get along" withKim, adding in an unusually precise assessment thatPyongyangnow had 57 "very powerful"nuclear weapons.

But Trump's sudden focus onKimand

Trump says he will meet North Koreas Kim Jong Un later this year

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:15:53 GMT

US PresidentDonald Trumpsaid Wednesday that he would meetKimJong Un later this year, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have struck with the leader of nuclear-armedNorth Koreain his first term.

Trump told reporters at theWhite Houseit was important to "get along" withKim, adding in an unusually precise assessment thatPyongyangnow had 57 "very powerful"nuclear weapons.

But Trump's sudden focus onKimand

Trump scales back joint military drills between South Korea and US

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 02:27:10 GMT

Annual war games betweenSouth Koreaand theUnited Stateswill end around a week earlier than planned, both countries said on Wednesday, after US PresidentDonald Trumpordered the "inappropriate and hostile" drills scaled back.

Trump said on Sunday that he had told thePentagonto curtail the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercisesa day before they startedciting his "good relationship" with North Korean leaderKim Jong Un

Even a Radioactive Time Bomb Is Right Twice a Presidential Term

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 01:10:59 GMT

By refusing to take part in waging war on the people of Iran, the South Korean government obtained something else favored by many of the people of South Korea: at long last a reduction in U.S. war rehearsals and hostility toward North Korea. U.S. media outlets panicked. How could Trump abandon his duty to keep the Korean peninsula divided and the risk of nuclear apocalypse respectably high? U.S. comedians were thrilled

Explainer: What abrupt cut to joint drills means for U.S.-S. Korea alliance

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:15:13 GMT

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A major U.S.-South Korea military exercise ended earlier than planned Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly ordered a substantial reduction in its scale, raising fresh questions over the stability of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, Seoul's plans to assume wartime operational control and the reliability of U.S. security commitments to its allies worldwide.

The Ulchi Freed

Scholars, activists urge Japan to confront history at Tokyo event marking 1923 earthquake massacre

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 03:45:03 GMT

TOKYO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A press conference marking the 103rd anniversary of the massacre following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake was held in Tokyo on Friday, with participants calling for Japan to confront its history and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

Takakage Fujita, secretary-general of the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, said that 103 years ago, following th

1st LD Writethru: Chinese FM urges strategic cooperation, mutual trust in China-S. Korea ties

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:45:28 GMT

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding a strategic dialogue with Wi Sung-lac, Sout

China has no information on DPRK-U.S. engagement: spokesperson

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:47:28 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that he has no information about the engagement between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

Lin made the remarks when asked to comment on a report by the Wall Street Journal that U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to meet with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un during the 33rd APEC Economic Le

U.S.-ROK military exercise pushes Korean Peninsula again to "threshold of war" -- KCNA

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:45:31 GMT

PYONGYANG, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) is "pushing again the tensions on the Korean Peninsula to the threshold of a war," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Wednesday.

The exercise poses "the most immediate and open threat" to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and regional security, the ag

Chinese FM stresses need to address root causes of Korean Peninsula tensions

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:45:06 GMT

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that the fundamental way to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula is to address the root causes of the issue and to push for the United States to abandon its hostile policy toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks

Trump says he expects to meet top DPRK leader later this year

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:45:15 GMT

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he expects to meet again with Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), later this year.

"Yeah, I will be," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he expects to meet with Kim this year.

The White House has not confirmed plans for a meeting between the two leaders.

The Wal

Senior DPRK official says unaware of communication between leaders of DPRK, U.S.: KCNA

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:15:18 GMT

PYONGYANG, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kim Yo Jong, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, said she was unaware of the reported recent communication between the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday.

Kim also said that the U.S. hostile policy towards her country has not

China says political settlement of Korean Peninsula issue in interest of all parties

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:18:41 GMT

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula and a political settlement of the peninsula issue are in the interest of all parties.

Lin made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on media reports that the United States and the Republic of Korea said that their joint military exercise will end earlier

Trump eyes meeting with top DPRK leader: WSJ

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:45:18 GMT

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing aides for a meeting as soon as this fall with Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.

Trump has privately discussed setting up an in-person meeting with Kim during the president's next trip to Asia, officials were quoted as saying, add

Why Trump 'fell in love' with Kim Jong Un

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:45:00 GMT

It's easy to see why Trump says he "fell in love" with Kim Jong Un. The two men have so much in common.

Both are obsessed with posting photos of themselves wherever they can.

Both believe they are experts in everything, particularly things they know nothing about. Trump's latest insane absur

China: Stable Korean Peninsula benefits all parties

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:07:37 GMT

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula and a political settlement of the peninsula issue are in the interest of all parties.

Lin made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on media reports that the United States and the Republic of Korea said that their joint military exercise will end earlier than expected.

(Cover:

Aberdeen Council brings 400 empty council homes back into use

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 07:35:50 GMT

Aberdeen Council brings 400 empty council homes back into use

3 dead in private helicopter crash on Sifnos; UK couple onboard

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 02:34:17 GMT

3 dead in private helicopter crash on Sifnos; UK couple onboard

Honours at Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society Awards

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:51:39 GMT

Honours at Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society Awards

www.northkoreatimes.com latest rss headlines

South Korea reaffirms strong alliance with US despite Trump order

US-South Korea joint military drills cut short following Trump directive

South Korea, US, Japan hold urgent talks after North Korea fires missiles despite US drill rollback

As US scales back military exercises with S Korea, Japan says N Korea launches suspected ballistic missile

Chinese FM urges strategic cooperation, mutual trust in China-S. Korea ties

Trump says he wasn't 'happy' when South Korea declined to help US with Hormuz

Trump says Kim Jong Un "didn't like" Biden, Obama but "likes me"; highlights ties making US, allies safer

Trump says he will meet Kim Jong-un this year

Trump says he will meet Kim Jong-un this year (VIDEO)

"We were not notified in advance": Seoul says Trump's drill cuts came without prior notice

Joint military drill cut short at Washington's request, confirms South Korean media

South Korea to send first container ship through Arctic route

DPRK fires barrage of ballistic missiles amid US-ROK drills: Seoul

Trump says he will meet North Koreas Kim Jong-un later this year

Trump says he will meet North Koreas Kim Jong Un later this year

Trump scales back joint military drills between South Korea and US

Even a Radioactive Time Bomb Is Right Twice a Presidential Term

Explainer: What abrupt cut to joint drills means for U.S.-S. Korea alliance

Scholars, activists urge Japan to confront history at Tokyo event marking 1923 earthquake massacre

1st LD Writethru: Chinese FM urges strategic cooperation, mutual trust in China-S. Korea ties

China has no information on DPRK-U.S. engagement: spokesperson

U.S.-ROK military exercise pushes Korean Peninsula again to "threshold of war" -- KCNA

Chinese FM stresses need to address root causes of Korean Peninsula tensions

Trump says he expects to meet top DPRK leader later this year

Senior DPRK official says unaware of communication between leaders of DPRK, U.S.: KCNA

China says political settlement of Korean Peninsula issue in interest of all parties

Trump eyes meeting with top DPRK leader: WSJ

Why Trump 'fell in love' with Kim Jong Un

China: Stable Korean Peninsula benefits all parties

Aberdeen Council brings 400 empty council homes back into use

3 dead in private helicopter crash on Sifnos; UK couple onboard

Honours at Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society Awards