Trump Reduces Joint South Korea Military Exercises Amid North Korea Tensions and Iran Link

US President Donald Trump on Sunday directed the Pentagon to cut back planned joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump linked the move to Seoul declining to help US efforts to denuclearise Iran. Trump also argued the drills could look "hostile" to North Korea, which Trump described as "unthreatening and respectful" during time in office.

In a social media post, Trump said the request was made to South Korea’s president and the response was, "and they said, No thanks!" Trump added the exercises were expensive and "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea. Trump wrote, "Therefore, and 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!"

The planned summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield training was set to run for 11 days. It involved about 18,000 South Korean soldiers and focused on readiness against North Korean threats. US and South Korean forces were expected to rehearse joint operations, including complex scenarios. Activities included live fire for joint precision targeting and manoeuvre, a wet gap crossing, and moving prepositioned equipment.

The US military said the exercises reinforced "the role of the alliance as the linchpin for regional peace and security". It also said the training reaffirmed "the ironclad commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea to defend their homelands." The drills were scheduled to begin this week, which Trump said was too late to cancel fully.

The joint training was due to start soon after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing banned by the UN. Earlier this month, South Korea, the US and Japan detected a short-range ballistic missile launch. It was North Korea’s first ballistic weapons test since late June. The missile landed in waters off North Korea’s east coast.

North Korea on Friday warned of unspecified stern steps against the US and South Korea. It described the military drills as "a rehearsal for an aggressive war" and said they increased regional instability. Analysts said this language was consistent with past North Korean messaging before major US-South Korea exercises. Experts also said Pyongyang often used drills as a pretext for more testing.

Joint military exercises and Trump: Alliance strains and past decisions

Trump’s decision was another example of tension with an ally while taking a softer tone on a leader seen as an adversary. Trump and others in the administration also criticised NATO partners over support for the US war against Iran. Those comments came as NATO countries focused on an increasingly aggressive Russia in the Baltic region.

Trump’s post came a day after sharing a photo standing next to North Korea’s Kim. Trump wrote the leaders got along well "despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture." Trump met Kim three times during the first term, most recently in 2019, to discuss the nuclear programme. Since returning to office, Trump said there was interest in restarting talks.

North Korea kept expanding nuclear and missile arsenals after Kim’s diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019. Experts said Kim likely believed a larger arsenal could strengthen leverage in future negotiations. Trump had also tried to halt exercises before, calling them "provocative" in the first term. Trump said in 2018, "We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should,"

The Ulchi Freedom Shield plan outlined large-scale joint training, but Trump ordered it reduced shortly before the start. Trump tied the decision to South Korea rejecting Iran-related cooperation and to concerns about how North Korea read the drills. The move occurred as North Korea restarted missile activity and issued familiar warnings ahead of US-South Korea exercises.