Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military exercises with South Korea, citing costs and lack of help with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the financial burden and Seoul's refusal to join actions against Iran. The order came just before the scheduled start of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills.

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These exercises are not only costly… 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.

Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that while the exercises could not be entirely canceled at this late stage, he was unhappy with the prior agreement to participate. He characterized the drills as costly and sending a "totally inappropriate and hostile" message to North Korea, with whom he claims to have a strong relationship. The exercises, set to run from August 17 to 27, were to involve approximately 18,000 South Korean military personnel and focus on countering evolving North Korean capabilities like drones, GPS signal disruption, and cyberattacks.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the drills commenced on Monday as planned but declined to comment on Trump's remarks. Official responses from the South Korean presidential office and ministries were not immediately available due to a public holiday in Seoul. The Pentagon referred inquiries to the White House, which had not yet provided further details on the drills' next steps.

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“These exercises are not only costly… 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,” Trump wrote.

Trump has consistently sought to curtail or end military exercises with South Korea since his first term, deeming them provocative and expensive. He has also previously clashed with Seoul over the cost-sharing for stationing U.S. troops in the country and regional security. North Korea routinely condemns these joint drills as preparations for an invasion. This directive follows recent ballistic missile launches by North Korea on August 6 and August 14.

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“These exercises are not only costly… 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,” Trump wrote.

Analysts suggest Trump's decision might be an attempt to foster diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang, a long-standing goal of his administration. However, Jenny Town, head of the Stimson Centre's 38 North program, noted that the "haphazard nature" of this move is unlikely to significantly influence North Korea. The relationship between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has seen dramatic shifts, from mutual insults and threats to historic summits and exchanges of personal letters.

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“These exercises are not only costly… 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,” Trump wrote.