President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to significantly reduce the scope of ongoing joint military exercises with South Korea. In a social media statement released Sunday, the president expressed dissatisfaction with the drills, which were set to commence Monday, describing them as costly and a move that could “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” toward North Korea.
Trump emphasized that his decision is rooted in his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, noting that Pyongyang has remained “unthreatening and respectful” during his current time in the White House. While acknowledging that it was too late to cancel the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises entirely, Trump confirmed he has ordered Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to ensure they are “substantially reduced.”
The annual drills, scheduled to run from August 17 to 27, involve 18,000 South Korean personnel. These exercises are a standard defensive measure against the nuclear-armed North, which has recently gained combat experience through its involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite the president’s directive, South Korea’s Ministry of Defence stated that the military maneuvers would “proceed as previously notified and scheduled.”
In his social media post, Trump also touched upon regional diplomacy, revealing that he had recently asked the South Korean president to join the United States in the denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a request he noted was declined. The president further highlighted his personal rapport with the North Korean leader by sharing a photograph of the two, remarking that they get along well despite the “unfriendly look” captured in the image.
Pyongyang has long condemned these joint exercises, consistently labeling them as rehearsals for an invasion. Just last week, a spokesperson for North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that the deepening military cooperation between the US, Japan, and South Korea is evolving into a nuclear alliance, vowing that the North would meet any new level of threat with a corresponding level of deterrence.
This is not the first time the president has challenged the necessity of these regional exercises. Following his historic 2018 summit with Kim in Singapore, Trump characterized the drills as both “expensive” and “provocative.” Throughout his initial term in office, the president met with Kim on three separate occasions as part of his broader diplomatic strategy.
Source: Aljazeera
