Trump officials explore small deal with N. Korea, possibility of halting joint drills

The Trump administration has been seeking input from the South Korean government and regional experts since early this year on conditions for resuming dialogue with North Korea, including the potential suspension of joint military exercises with Seoul. Multiple diplomatic sources confirmed on Thursday that officials from U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy team made several visits to South Korea in February and March. They inquired whether steps such as suspending U.S.-ROK joint drills or halting the deployment of strategic assets could still be considered valid reciprocal measures in response to a freeze or partial rollback of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The consultations suggest the Trump team is considering the 2018 Singapore summit agreement between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a possible foundation for a renewed round of U.S.-North Korea talks — dubbed “Singapore 2.0” by some observers. A government source familiar with the talks said, “There was a shared understanding that measures agreed upon in the original Singapore summit wou

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