Trump Orders Pentagon to ‘Substantially’ Scale Back US-South Korea Military Exercises

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 — US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has instructed the Pentagon to “substantially” reduce upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea, describing the long-standing defense maneuvers as costly and counterproductive to diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.

Writing on social media platform Truth Social as Seoul and Washington prepare to kick off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise this week, Trump criticized the joint military operations and pointed to his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“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.

“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.”

Acknowledging that the immediate schedule made complete cancellation impossible, Trump stated that he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to curtail the scope of the joint maneuvers.

“Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” he added.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills have long been decried by Pyongyang as aggressive war rehearsals aimed at regime change.

In the same post, Trump disclosed a recent discussion with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung regarding international security cooperation. Trump claimed he asked the South Korean president whether Seoul would assist US efforts aimed at denuclearising Iran, to which Lee reportedly answered, “No thanks.” Trump did not elaborate further on the exchange.

–NMT