President Donald Trump said on August 16 that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” upcoming U.S.-South Korean military exercises.
He cited the cost of the drills, South Korea’s refusal to join Washington’s efforts to denuclearize Iran and his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, saying he was “not happy” that the United States had agreed to participate in the exercises, which he argued send “a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” toward North Korea. He also criticized the cost of the drills, saying the United States pays much of the expense and that scaling them back would save money while easing tensions with Pyongyang.
Trump links drills to Iran
Trump linked his decision to a recent exchange with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. He said he recently asked Lee whether South Korea would join the U.S. effort to denuclearize Iran, but Seoul declined.
“While somewhat unrelated (?), 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 wrote.
Despite making the connection, Trump described the Iran issue as “somewhat unrelated” to his decision to reduce the military exercises.
Trump orders Hegseth to scale back drills
Trump said it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely because they were about to begin, so he instructed Hegseth to reduce their scope.
“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!” Trump wrote.
It was not immediately clear what the reduction would entail. The Pentagon and U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately specify whether troop numbers, field maneuvers or live-fire components would be affected.
South Korea says exercises will proceed
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said the exercises would “proceed as previously notified and scheduled,” suggesting that the exercises themselves would proceed, although the scope of U.S. participation could still change.
The exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, are scheduled for August 17 through August 27 and involve about 18,000 South Korean troops. The annual exercises are the second major round of joint U.S.-South Korean drills, following exercises held in March.
U.S. Forces Korea says the exercises are designed to strengthen the allies’ combined defense posture and ability to respond to a range of security threats.
The original training plan included joint operations involving live-fire precision targeting and maneuver, a wet gap crossing and the distribution of prepositioned military equipment.
North Korea opposes the drills
North Korea has long condemned the exercises as rehearsals for an invasion. Ahead of this year’s drills, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol said the exercises demonstrated the allies’ commitment to military confrontation and warned that North Korean forces were prepared to respond to provocations, according to NBC News.
North Korean state media also described this year’s exercises as more provocative than previous drills.
North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests in the days before the exercises began, which South Korea, the United States and Japan detected. The launches were seen by South Korea, the United States and other observers as a protest against the upcoming exercises.