Trump Orders Cut to Korea Drills
President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce annual joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost, the signal they send to North Korea and Seoul’s refusal to join U.S. efforts against Iran, even as the drills begin as scheduled today.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said the exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, are not only expensive but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. He described the North as having been “unthreatening and respectful” during his time in office and highlighted his good relationship with leader Kim Jong Un. Trump added that he had recently asked South Korea’s president whether the country would join the United States in the “denuclearization” of Iran and received a negative response. Because it was too late to cancel the drills entirely, he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale them back significantly.
The 11-day exercises involve about 18,000 South Korean personnel and are designed to enhance readiness against North Korean threats. The U.S. military has described them as reinforcing the alliance’s role as a linchpin for regional peace and security. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the training started on Monday as planned. Activities were expected to include joint operations in complex scenarios, live-fire precision targeting, a wet-gap crossing and the distribution of prepositioned equipment.
South Korea’s presidential office said it was reviewing Trump’s comments and hoped the friendly personal relationship between the U.S. and North Korean leaders would lead to meaningful dialogue aimed at advancing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. It added that the two allies would continue coordinating on their combined defence posture and military exercises. On the Iran issue, Seoul said it was discussing potential military contributions while taking into account its own defence readiness and domestic legal procedures.
The decision marks a sharp shift from recent administration praise for South Korea. In May, Hegseth had commended the ally for increasing defence spending and assuming primary responsibility for the security of the Korean Peninsula, calling it a model of burden-sharing. It also echoes Trump’s earlier efforts during his first term to halt or curtail the exercises, which he then described as provocative and costly.
North Korea has denounced the drills as a rehearsal for invasion and last week threatened unspecified strong measures against the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang conducted ballistic missile tests in early August, its first such activity since late June, in defiance of United Nations bans. Experts note that the North often uses allied exercises as a pretext to accelerate weapons testing.
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, criticised the move as shortsighted, saying it hollows out essential joint training. Informed observers have suggested the order may be intended to create diplomatic space with Pyongyang or to influence North Korea’s ties with Russia, though the abrupt nature of the announcement could limit its impact.
