*By Christian Smith*
South Koreans responded with a mix of optimism and worry Tuesday after President Trump announced he would suspend joint military exercises with South Korea as Kim Jong-un considers how to dismantle North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
President Moon Jae-In of South Korea [watched on TV and smiled](https://www.facebook.com/KoreaClickers/photos/rpp.181274814520/10156484091904521/?type=3&theater) as the American president and the North Korean leader met in Singapore. But Trump's unexpected announcement that he would stop joint military drills made some of America's allies in South Korea uneasy, according to Martyn Williams, editor at NorthKoreaTech.org.
"The right wing in South Korea is already not very pleased with these military drills stopping taking place," Williams said in an interview with Cheddar.
The president's statement, which appeared to be an off-the-cuff comment in a discussion with reporters after his meeting with Kim, was not part of the joint statement signed by the two leaders. The United States and South Korea conduct regular war games to prepare for the possibility of a conflict with North Korea, and there are about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
Trump had said he hoped to strike a deal with Kim to eliminate North Korea's nuclear program, and touted the "very comprehensive" statement the leaders agreed to at the summit. But Williams said denuclearization will take more negotiations.
"I think it was a good first step, but what comes next is the most important thing," Williams said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-winners-and-losers-of-the-north-korea-summit).
A nurse at an immigration detention center in Georgia says authorities performed questionable hysterectomies, refused to test detainees for COVID-19 and shredded medical records.
Automakers Daimler AG and subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA have agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the U.S. government and California state regulators to resolve emissions cheating allegations.
The Treasury Department says that the U.S. budget deficit hit an all-time high of $3 trillion for the first 11 months of this budget year.
Senate Democrats have scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus rescue package, saying the measure shortchanges too many pressing needs as the pandemic continues its assault on the country.
Cheddar's JD Durkin writes how former VP Joe Biden could steal the thunder from his incumbent opponent Donald Trump: by announcing his former boss President Obama as a hypothetical candidate for SCOTUS.
A huge fire broke out Thursday at the Port of Beirut, the site of last month's catastrophic explosion that killed nearly 200 people and devastated parts of the capital.
A new book reveals that President Donald Trump seemed to understand the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation that it was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control.
A new federal report shows vaping rates among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says AstraZeneca's suspension of its COVID-19 vaccine study shows “one of the safety valves” built into the research to spot any potential problems.
A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East.
Load More