President Donald Trump on Sunday directed the Pentagon to substantially reduce planned joint military exercises with South Korea, arguing that the drills were costly, unnecessarily hostile toward North Korea and no longer justified. He also linked the decision to South Korea’s refusal to participate in U.S. efforts aimed at denuclearizing Iran.
The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled to begin this week, were expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops. The training was designed to strengthen readiness against potential North Korean threats and included live-fire operations, precision targeting, maneuver exercises, water crossings and the distribution of prepositioned military equipment.
Trump said cancellation was no longer practical because the exercises were imminent. He cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and described Pyongyang as respectful and nonthreatening during his presidency. His announcement followed a post featuring a photograph of Trump and Kim.
North Korea had warned that the exercises represented preparation for an aggressive war and threatened unspecified countermeasures. Such statements are common before major U.S.-South Korean drills. Analysts have said Pyongyang has used the exercises to justify weapons tests, expand its arsenal and reinforce domestic support for Kim.
The decision comes shortly after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing, including a short-range launch detected by South Korea, Japan and the United States. United Nations resolutions prohibit North Korean ballistic missile activity.
Trump met Kim three times during his first presidential term, but negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear program broke down in 2019. Since returning to office, Trump has expressed interest in restarting talks.
The move echoes Trump’s 2018 announcement after meeting Kim in Singapore, when he called the exercises provocative and said suspending them could reduce costs while supporting diplomacy. U.S. military officials, however, have described Ulchi Freedom Shield as central to alliance readiness and security.