Trump wants South Korea to defend itself. His overtures to Kim Jong Un could delay that

By suddenly scaling down war games with South Korea, US President Donald Trump risks working against his own stated goal of having Seoul assume more responsibility for its own defense. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, involving tens of thousands of troops, have been cut in half at Washington’s request, after Trump said last weekend that the exercises antagonized his friend, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, while also costing the US a lot of money. These exercises “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday in what appeared to be an…