US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with close ally South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the upcoming drills, which were scheduled to begin on Monday, describing them as costly and claiming they “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. He asserted that Pyongyang has remained “unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He further noted that it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely, so he had issued a directive to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” their scope.
During his remarks, the president also referenced a diplomatic exchange with Seoul regarding broader regional security. “I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump stated.
In response to the president’s announcement, South Korea’s Ministry of Defence maintained that the military exercises would “proceed as previously notified and scheduled.” The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which are set to run for 11 days from August 17 to 27, are expected to involve 18,000 South Korean soldiers. These drills serve as a regular summer fixture for South Korean and US forces, designed to bolster defenses against a nuclear-armed North Korea, which has recently gained experience through its involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Pyongyang has consistently condemned these exercises, characterizing them as rehearsals for an invasion. Last week, North Korean officials denounced the latest drills as a provocation that heightens tensions on the Korean Peninsula. A spokesperson for North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday that the military cooperation between the US, Japan, and South Korea is evolving into a nuclear alliance, warning that Pyongyang would respond to such threats with a new level of deterrent.
The day before his announcement, Trump shared a photo of himself with Kim Jong Un, noting that the two leaders got along well, “despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture.” This move marks a continuation of Trump’s long-standing skepticism toward these maneuvers; during his first term, he met with Kim three times and famously labeled the military drills “expensive” and “provocative” following their historic 2018 summit in Singapore.
