Trump Orders Pentagon to Scale Back Joint Military Exercises with South Korea
President Trump announced via social media on Sunday that he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day annual joint military exercise with South Korea that began Monday. Trump cited the cost of the exercises and his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and also linked the decision to South Korea's refusal to join U.S. efforts to denuclearize Iran. The exercises were set to involve roughly 18,000 South Korean troops alongside U.S. forces.
President Trump announced Sunday via Truth Social that he had directed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the drills are "not only costly" but "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he described as having been "unthreatening and respectful" during his presidency. South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed the exercises began Monday as planned.
Trump offered two reasons for the order. The first was his relationship with Kim Jong Un, whose cooperation he said made the exercises unnecessary as a deterrent signal. The second was South Korea's refusal to join U.S. operations to "denuclearize" Iran — writing that he had recently asked South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, whether Seoul would participate, "and they said, 'No thanks!'"
The order came as North Korea had just conducted two ballistic missile launches within six days, on August 6 and August 12. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said after each launch that it did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or allies. North Korea's Foreign Ministry had separately described the Ulchi Freedom Shield as "a rehearsal for an aggressive war." The joint training is one of two main combined drills conducted annually, and approximately 28,500 U.S. service members are stationed on the Korean Peninsula as part of U.S. Forces Korea.