South Korean opposition slams President Lee for 'destroying alliance' after US trims military drill

South Korea's largest opposition party has launched a scathing attack on President Lee Jae-myung, accusing him of jeopardizing the decades-old US-South Korea alliance. The criticism erupted after President Trump ordered a significant reduction in the scale of the annual "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS) joint military exercise, which began on August 17. The opposition claims Lee's dismissive response to a request for assistance in an Iran non-proliferation initiative directly angered Trump, leading to the exercise cutback.

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No, thank you!

Park Sung-hoon, chief spokesperson for the main opposition "People Power Party," stated that the unilateral reduction of the defense exercise by Trump is a tragic consequence of the Lee administration's actions. He asserted that Lee took the alliance's trust for granted, responding with a curt "No, thank you" when directly asked by Trump about participating in the Iran operation. This, the opposition argues, planted deep distrust among top US officials. The party further alleges that Lee's government has adopted a submissive policy towards North Korea, which has led Washington to mistakenly believe Kim Jong Un poses no threat.

The opposition is demanding that President Lee issue a public apology to the nation and conduct a comprehensive review of his foreign policy. They contend that Lee's perceived arrogance has undermined mutual trust, leaving the nation's defense in a precarious situation. The incident has amplified existing tensions surrounding Seoul's long-term goal of regaining "wartime operational control" (OPCON) from the US military.

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The unilateral reduction of the defense exercise by Trump is a tragic consequence of the Lee administration's actions.

Despite the controversy, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the "Ulchi Freedom Shield" exercise proceeded as scheduled, with approximately 18,000 troops mobilized. However, Trump's unexpected public statement and demand for a reduced exercise scale have introduced significant variables into Seoul's timeline for reassessing OPCON. The situation has placed the US-South Korea military cooperation and mutual trust under a critical spotlight, with the opposition party emphasizing the need for a fundamental shift in the government's foreign policy approach.

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The defense exercise was unilaterally ordered to be reduced by Trump, which is a tragic reality of the Lee government's self-inflicted consequences.