S. KOREA-U.S. JOINT EXERCISE DISPUTE

[Anchor Lead]

U.S. President Donald Trump has labeled South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, a total waste of money. He also reiterated that North Korea's launches of projectiles did not violate an agreement between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. With these remarks, the U.S. president sounds like that he understands North Korea stance.

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During his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on August 25, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Seoul-Washington joint military drills are unnecessary. Although the latest such exercises were computer-based "combined command post training, which was a scaled-down version, compared to previous ones, Trump still called them a total waste of money.

[Soundbite] DONALD TRUMP(U.S. PRESIDENT)

He also pointed out, despite his disapproval, the drills were conducted in a modified version at his aides' recommendation. Trump made the remarks while revealing that he received a new letter from his North Korean counterpart last week. He added Kim Jong-un was "upset" that South Korea was engaging in what Kim called "war games." The commander-in-chief also reiterated that Pyongyang's test-firing of short-range missiles is not a violation of a deal between him and Kim, as they discussed only long-range missiles and short range ones were not on the agenda. When Trump asked about his views, Abe expressed deep regrets about the regime's short-range missile launches, calling them a violation of UN resolutions. In response, the American leader said that he completely understands Tokyo's stance, as the issue is related to its safety.

[Soundbite] DONALD TRUMP(U.S. PRESIDENT)

Trump also mentioned that he knows the North Korean leader well, and he believes Kim will make the right decision eventually. From his comments on Seoul-Washington joint drills to North Korea's missile tests, the U.S. president has been making a series of remarks that can be interpreted as him understanding Kim's stance on such matters.