WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost, his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s refusal to support U.S. actions against Iran.
The directive came just before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were scheduled to begin Monday. The 11-day drills were expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops and are designed to improve readiness against North Korean military threats.
Trump said the exercises send an “inappropriate and hostile” signal toward North Korea, which he described as respectful and relatively unthreatening during his presidency. He also complained that South Korea declined his request to participate in efforts aimed at Iran.
North Korea has long denounced U.S.-South Korean exercises as rehearsals for invasion, while Washington and Seoul maintain they are defensive. Pyongyang recently launched ballistic missiles ahead of the drills and threatened unspecified countermeasures.
South Korea appeared to receive little advance warning of Trump’s announcement but said Monday it hopes the reduction could help restart dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. Its government also stressed the importance of maintaining military readiness and close coordination with the United States.
Trump similarly suspended major exercises after meeting Kim in Singapore in 2018. Those diplomatic efforts ultimately failed to produce an agreement eliminating North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, which has expanded substantially since negotiations collapsed in 2019.
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