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Trump Orders Pentagon to 'Substantially Reduce' Military Exercises with South Korea

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea.
  • The decision stems from South Korea's recent refusal to join U.S. efforts to denuclearize Iran and Trump's view that the exercises are costly and send an inappropriate signal to North Korea.
  • While Trump cited his relationship with Kim Jong Un and North Korea's perceived respectfulness, the reduction is also described as somewhat unrelated to South Korea's refusal regarding Iran.

President Trump announced on Sunday that he has directed the Pentagon to substantially scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing multiple reasons for the decision.

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.

— President TrumpTrump explained his dissatisfaction with the joint military exercises with South Korea, linking it to his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr. Trump stated that the exercises are expensive and send a message he deems "totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea. He characterized North Korea's behavior towards the U.S. as "unthreatening and respectful" during his presidency. Trump also mentioned his "very good relationship with Kim Jong Un" as a factor in his dissatisfaction with the long-standing agreement for joint military drills.

A key, though reportedly "somewhat unrelated," factor in the decision appears to be South Korea's recent refusal to participate in the U.S. initiative aimed at the denuclearization of Iran. Mr. Trump had personally asked the South Korean president about joining this effort, but the country declined.

it is too late to cancel

— President TrumpTrump acknowledged that the current joint military exercises could not be canceled but ordered a substantial reduction in future drills.

The 11-day exercises, which involve 18,000 South Korean soldiers, are designed to enhance readiness against potential threats from North Korea. North Korea itself had previously issued a warning, labeling the drills as a "rehearsal for an aggressive war" and contributing to regional instability. Experts note that North Korea often uses such exercises as a pretext for weapons testing and to bolster domestic support for leader Kim Jong Un.

recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the country declined.

— President TrumpTrump revealed that South Korea declined his invitation to join the U.S. effort to denuclearize Iran, a factor in his decision regarding military exercises.

Despite the stated reasons, the U.S. military has previously emphasized the importance of these exercises, describing them as reinforcing the alliance's role as a "linchpin for regional peace and security" and reaffirming the "ironclad commitment" between the U.S. and South Korea. This move by President Trump marks a significant shift in the long-standing military cooperation between the two nations.

a rehearsal for an aggressive war

— North KoreaNorth Korea's description of the U.S.-South Korean military drills, which they claim triggers greater instability in the region.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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