Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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한미일 연합훈련 등

Hello and welcome.
Hope your start to the workweek has been pleasant thus far.
It's August 31st Monday here in Seoul and I'm Min Sun-hee.
Here on the KOREAN Peninsula it's a pivotal moment for security as Seoul Washington and Tokyo are set to start joint defense drills while the Trump administration WEIGHS engagement with Pyongyang even as the latter strengthens its military partnership with the Kremlin.
For more I have Steven Borowiec with Japanese weekly news magazine Nikkei Asia.
Steven welcome back.
I also have Professor Choi Hyun Jin at Kyung Hee University live on the line.
Professor Choi it's a pleasure.


1) Steven, let's start with news of annual joint defense drills among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan slated for September.
What are they, and what makes them significant?


2) Professor Choi, does news of the upcoming Freedom Edge among the three countries serve to ease concerns over Washington's recent scaling back of the Ulchi Freedom Shield with Seoul?
Also, do remind us about the importance of these defense drills.


3) And Steven, what has been the South Korean government's response to the scaling back of joint military exercises with the U.S. in hopes of engaging North Korea?


4) Professor Choi, pundits within the U.S. say Mr. Trump's unilateral downscaling of the defense drills with South Korea raises concerns over the credibility of U.S.'s security commitment to its allies.
How do you respond?


5) Steven, beyond the defense drills in September, is a highly anticipated summit between the U.S. and China.
Observers believe Mr. Trump's economic war against Iran may also be addressed then.
Do give us some background.


6) Professor Choi, others claim Mr. Trump's hopes of meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un may also be on the table during talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month at the White House.
BUT analysts believe Kim Jong-un may not really want to meet with Donald Trump.
What are your thoughts?


7) Steven, speaking of North Korea, last week, the regime condemned the sale of American arms to South Korea.
Do fill us in on this development, and what have you been hearing here in South Korea about the prospects of dialogue with North Korea?


8) Professor Choi, on the subject of arms, Ukraine says Russia has asked North Korea for more ballistic missiles.
How concerned should we be about North Korea's role in Russia's war against Ukraine?



All right.

#SouthKorea #UnitedStates #Japan #Military #Exercise #StevenBorowiec #ChoiHyunJin #한미일_연합훈련 #프리덤에지 #안보 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스

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2026-08-31, 17:30 (KST)