New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- US President Donald Trump wants to revive his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, even as he has turned up pressure on South Korea, a longstanding US ally.

Earlier this week, Trump said he was expected to meet Kim later this year. Trump's statement came days after he ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea. But Pyongyang has responded coolly to his overturns, saying the reduction in drills does not amount to a goodwill gesture and that US policy towards North Korea remains hostile.

The contrasting approach towards the two halves of the Korean peninsula raises an important question: why is Trump again reaching out to Kim, despite earlier summits not producing...