Asian allies stress ‘critical cooperation’ with US

SEOUL

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles (L) shakes hands with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. (AFP photo)

Japan underlined on Aug. 18 the “critical” importance of security cooperation with the United States and South Korea, after President Donald Trump alarmed allies by scaling back military drills with Seoul while hailing his ties with Pyongyang.

Trump abruptly announced on Aug. 16 that he had ordered the Pentagon to scale back “inappropriate and hostile” military drills with South Korea, a day before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises got underway.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, on a visit to Australia, supported security cooperation with key defense backer Washington and neighbor Seoul.

“As Japan faces the most severe and complicated security environment in the post-war era, the cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is critical to the peace and stability of the region,” Koizumi told journalists.

Trump on Aug. 17 insisted he was making the situation “much safer” through his ties with the North’s Kim Jong Un, whom he met three times in his first term but has yet to encounter since his return to the White House.

While praising the leader of nuclear-armed North Korea, Trump rebuked key ally Seoul for failing to help Washington fight Iran, a war Trump says is aimed at stopping Tehran from getting an atomic bomb.

Pressed about whether Kim had responded to his messages, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: “Yeah, he has.”

Trump added that the conversations were “very positive,” but provided no further detail.

Seoul’s unification ministry, responsible for relations with the North, said it “cannot verify the specific content of the exchanges” between Washington and Pyongyang.

The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with South Korea are designed to prepare for a possible war with North Korea, which decries the drills as dress rehearsals for an invasion.

South Korean officials have said the exercises had begun as planned and that they hoped the personal chemistry between Trump and Kim would bring them back to talks.

Seoul’s Presidential Office said on Aug. 18 that the drills did not reflect “any intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula.”

North Korea has not responded publicly, although it has previously voiced anger at the regular joint maneuvers that take place in the South.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, hosting his Japanese counterpart, said Canberra was “very concerned about North Korea’s nuclear program as well as its missile program.”

Trump again called into question on Aug. 17 U.S. support for both South Korea and NATO allies that have refused to contribute to the Iran war.

“We have 39,000 soldiers over there, guarding you from Kim Jong Un, your next-door neighbor, and you’re not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran. That’s strange,” Trump said in the Oval Office, giving a deployment figure that exceeds official troop numbers.

Seoul said on Aug. 18 that it had been involved in consultations with the United States and other partners over freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and possible military contributions.