Trump Orders Reduction of Joint Military Exercises With South Korea

Donald Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with South Korea. The president cited the high cost to the United States and stated that the drills send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile to North Korea, a country he described as unthreatening and respectful during his presidency.

The 11-day exercises were scheduled to involve 18,000 South Korean troops and U.S. forces, with a specific focus on drone defense and cyberattacks. While Trump noted it was too late to cancel the drills entirely, he linked the decision to his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He further criticized South Korea for declining a U.S. request to assist in the denuclearization of Iran.

Security experts have expressed alarm over the order, arguing that scaling back the exercises undermines deterrence on the Korean Peninsula and strains the alliance between the two nations. The Government of North Korea had previously characterized the joint drills as a rehearsal for an aggressive war and recently conducted a ballistic missile test.