In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy?

President Lee Jae Myung has long pushed for stronger homegrown defences, yet Donald Trump’s move has sparked alarm in some quarters At their first summit, in August last year, South Korean president Lee Jae Myung told Donald Trump: “If you, Mr President, become the peacemaker, then I will assist you as the pacemaker.”

Seoul, Washington to halve joint drills as Trump reportedly seeks summit with North Korea's Kim

Scheduled joint US and South Korean military drills are expected to be cut by about half, according to South Korean media on Wednesday, following ‌President Donald Trump’s order to substantially reduce US participation in the annual exercises. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on Monday, had been due to ru