Trump orders South Korea-U.S. joint drills curtailed as exercises begin

Trump’s move to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills comes as he seeks to revive diplomacy with North Korea, while Seoul faces growing pressure over its security role and refusal to join US-led actions against Iran.

Trump last Sunday instructed the Pentagon to cut military drills because they were "costly" and send "inappropriate and hostile" signals to North Korea.  

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his earlier remarks about a directive to scale back South Korea-U.S. military exercises and his "very good" relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as he seeks to reengage with Kim this year. Trump posted the message on social media, which was identical to his Aug. 16 post, except for a change in tense, amid speculation that he could pursue a meeting with Kim during his next trip to Asia, likely for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. Earlier this month, he instructed the Pentagon to "substantially" scale back the allied military exercises. Subsequently, Seoul and Washington shortened the duration of the annual combined Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise to five days from 11 days, with other field training events reduced or canceled. "Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I was not happy with the fact that the United States had, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "These exer

Trump said South Korea had declined his recent proposal to join US efforts aimed at the "denuclearisation" of Iran.

Trump called for scaling down the joint military exercises with South Korea as an overture to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Washington voiced displeasure; Seoul responded with respect. Few scenes better capture the disconnect in the U.S.-South Korea alliance. President Donald Trump ordered a major reduction in joint U.S.-South Korea military drills, saying they cost too much and send a hostile signal to North Korea. He made no secret of his displeasure with South Korea for not supporting U.S. military action against Iran. Yet he spoke warmly of Kim Jong-un and said he wanted to meet him this year. Seoul’s response was unexpected. President Lee Jae Myung praised Trump’s decision as an effort for peace on the Korean Peninsula and expressed his “respect.” Days earlier, Lee had stressed self-reliant defense, citing South Korea’s world-class military and defense industry, while vowing to regain wartime operational control within his term. Pyongyang seized on the contradiction. The North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, mocked Seoul for claiming ample capacity to defend itself while scaling back joint exercises at Trump’s word. She also called Seoul’s attempt to alter a Northeast Asian balance sh

US Scraps September Korea Marine Drills In Wake Of Iran War Strain Fresh on the heels of President Trump controversially ordering scaled-down US-South Korea military drills last week, there are emerging reports of more canceled plans for joint exercises. South Korean and American force were going to hold large-scale maritime drills focused on amphibious landing exercises in September, but Seoul has said the Pentagon had to back out related to constraints due to Iran war deployments. Marine Corps file image "The US Marine Corps formally notified our forces in June that its ability to deploy forces during this year’s Ssangyong exercise would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East," Han Seung-jeon, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps, said in a press briefing Monday. After this month's Ulchi Freedom Shield were halted early so as not to provoke North Korea (as indicated by Trump), these next exercises - dubbed "Twin Dragons" - have apparently been canceled entirely. The Twin Dragons exercise has previously featured thousands of American and South Korean forces practicing beach front landings. At its height years ago, it included over 20 navy vessels, 30 warplanes - and 40 amphibious-assault vehicles transporting, and well over 10,000 personnel. "Now it is the most recent example of Asian pullbacks from the U.S. More than 2,000 U.S. Marines stationed in Japan were transferred to the Middle East in March," The Wall Street Journal reports. "South Korea’s president publicly opposed the withdrawal of U.S. air defense assets this spring from his country. A Pacific-based American aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, just replaced in the Middle East the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been deployed for more than 250 days," the report adds. All of this is likely to strain tensions further between Washington and Seoul, something which has alarmed lawmakers on Capitol Hill. "Both Democrats and Republicans have warned that the pullback on Ulchi Freedom Shield drills risked undermining the alliance with South Korea, calling for the exercises to be restored," observes WSJ. US pulls back on major South Korea beach drills amid Iran strain — NYT The Pentagon scraps next month’s Ssangyong amphibious exercise, citing military demands from the war in Iran The drill was set to feature more than 10,000 Marines pic.twitter.com/ChxdX0OWVc — RT Intl (@RT_on_X) August 24, 2026 But it's clear that Trump is pushing for a new opening with Kim Jong Un, hearkening back to the two leaders' historic face-to-face meetings which marked a foreign policy high-point of Trump's first administration. So far, Pyongyang has not backed off its condemnations of Seoul and Washington's ongoing close cooperation. Tyler Durden Mon, 08/24/2026 - 18:00

By suddenly scaling down war games with South Korea, US President Donald Trump risks working against his own stated goal of having Seoul assume more responsibility for its own defense. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, involving tens of thousands of troops, have been cut in half at Washington’s request, after Trump said last weekend … The post Trump wants South Korea to defend itself. His overtures to Kim Jong Un could delay that appeared first on Egypt Independent.

President Trump’s decision to curtail the military exercises came as allies question the U.S. commitment to longstanding alliances.

President Donald Trump is welcomed by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun as he arrives at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on October 29, 2025. —Andrew Harnik—Getty ImagesSouth Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday that Seoul was given no notice before President Donald Trump announced that he would be scaling back joint military operations between the two countries.“Neither our government nor U.S. officials knew what President Trump wrote on his Truth Social," Cho told the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification. "We were not notified in advance.” Cho added, however, that Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back was in “close consultation” with his U.S. counterparts regarding the reductions to South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Read More: Trump’s South Korea Shift Tests a Key U.S. AllianceTrump on Sunday announced in a Truth Social post that he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s refusal to participate in the U.S.-Israel war against Iran and his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump called the joint exercises “costly” and “totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said has been “unthreatening and respectful” throughout his presidency. Both the Pentagon and South Korea have confirmed that joint operations have been reduced following Trump’s announcement.A Defense Department official tells TIME that the U.S. has “substantially reduced” Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield—an annual, large-scale training dating back roughly 50 years that combines multiple sectors of the military designed to prepare a U.S.-Korean joint response to international threats. The Ulchi exercise began on Monday and was supposed to last for 11 days, but will now end on Aug. 21, one week earlier than originally scheduled, the official says. “Associated live-training events have been reduced, with certain events canceled or converted to simulations,” the official adds, noting that “training that enhances tactical capability” will continue. “These adjustments preserve essential readiness and training objectives. There will be no degradation to U.S. training objectives.”South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff also confirmed that it had agreed to the reductions at the request of the U.S.North Korea has largely shrugged off the reductions, saying that they don’t change the geopolitical posture of either the U.S. or South Korea towards itself. "We are paying greater attention to the reality that joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea have continued and are still ongoing, and this is an unmistakable expression of hostility toward North Korea," Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the country’s leader, said on Wednesday, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. She added that Pyongyang had “no interest whatsoever" in Trump’s announcement and that “reducing the scale or duration of the drills does not change the provocative and aggressive nature of the military exercises.”Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday, following his order to the Pentagon, that he had spoken with Kim Jong Un about a scheduled conversation. Kim Yo Jong said on Wednesday, however, that she was "unaware" and knew “absolutely nothing” about recent communication between Trump and Kim Jong Un. On Wednesday, Trump said that he would meet with Kim Jong Un this year, but did not elaborate further. “He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” Trump said to reporters on the White House grounds, referring to North Korea’s arsenal. “Should have never allowed it to happen, they should never have allowed it. If I were president, I never would have allowed it.”Trump, who met Kim Jong Un face-to-face three times during his first term, has maintained a friendly relationship with the North Korean leader throughout his presidencies. "I have a great relationship with Kim Jong Un,” Trump said in August of last year. “I hope it stays that way, I think it will. I have a very good relationship. I understand him.” Amid his cordial relations with Kim Jong Un, Trump has repeatedly demanded that North Korea suspend its nuclear arms program, a request Pyongyang has said is off the table. Trump seems determined to negotiate towards that goal with the North Korean leader. The President’s recent move to halt joint exercises resembles one he made in his first term.  Following a summit in Singapore in 2018 during which Trump met with Kim Jong Un, making him the first sitting president to hold a summit with a North Korean leader, Trump suspended the Ulchi exercise with South Korea in the name of diplomacy with North Korea. 

Seoul-based Atlantic Council experts weigh in on how US president’s decision to cut short military training is being viewed by the US ally. The post The view from South Korea on Trump scaling back joint military exercises appeared first on Atlantic Council.

President Donald Trump’s call to drastically shorten the exercise out of deference to North Korea’s leader reportedly took Seoul by surprise.

Trump’s decision to scale back US-South Korea military exercises has raised concerns about the consequences for regional security. Critics argue he overestimates his relationship with Kim Jong-un, potentially strengthening North Korea’s regime and aggression. Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung warns that the move could weaken Seoul’s trust in Washington and push South Korea toward new alliances.

Annual war games between South Korea and the United States will end around a week earlier than planned, both countries said on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump ordered the “inappropriate and hostile” drills scaled back. Trump said on Sunday that he had told the Pentagon to curtail the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises — a day before they started — citing his “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang’s state media criticised the drills on Wednesday as a “most immediate and open threat”, without mentioning Trump’s order. Hours later, Seoul’s military said the drills would wrap up on Friday, not on August 27 as originally planned. “We have decided to adjust the UFS exercise period to run from the 17th to the 21st,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The decision was made “at the suggestion of the US side”, it added. The Pentagon said the “substantially reduced” drills would “preserve essential readiness and … [cause] no degradation to US training objectives”. The exercises are designed to prepare for a possible attack by North Korea. They were understood to consist of two phases: the first, focused on defending against potential North Korean threats, was due to run until Friday; and the second, focused on a counteroffensive, from August 24 to 27. The second phase is now understood to have been scrapped. A South Korean military official told AFP that Seoul viewed the decision as “unusual”. Nuclear-armed North Korea has long voiced outrage at the exercises, considering them dress rehearsals for an invasion. Wednesday’s commentary by the state-run Korean Central News Agency said they pose “the most immediate and open threat” to North Korea and “regional security”. It did not mention Trump’s order or his desire to resume talks with Kim, with whom he has hinted at being in contact. Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said Pyongyang had deliberately avoided mentioning Trump. North Korea was “sticking to general principles as if completely unaware of” Trump’s comments, he told AFP. “Showing awareness could suggest a degree of mutual understanding,” but feigning ignorance signals that the issue could become a key bargaining point in any future talks with Trump, Hong said. ‘Much safer’ In the initial announcement on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the drills as unfriendly towards a country that had been respectful to him. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers on Wednesday that Seoul had not been informed in advance of Trump’s plan to downsize them. “Neither our government nor US government officials knew in advance what President Trump revealed via Truth Social,” Cho said. Trump has insisted that he is making the situation “much safer” through his ties with Kim. Asked on Monday whether Kim had responded to his requests for a conversation, Trump said: “Yeah, he has.” He said the discussions had been “very positive”, but provided no further detail. “There has been persistent speculation that Washington could seek renewed talks with Pyongyang ahead of the November US mid-term elections,” Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP. “For Trump, a meeting with … Kim Jong Un could offer a chance to secure a foreign-policy legacy.” The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed US officials, that Trump is pushing aides to set up a meeting with Kim as soon as this autumn. “Reducing exercises could have a positive impact on the possibility of US-North Korea dialogue,” Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, told AFP. “The suspension of joint exercises has always been a prerequisite for North Korea to engage in dialogue with the US,” he added. Trump and Kim met three times in his first spell in the White House, but they have not held talks during his second term. The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country’s defences, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Trump has repeatedly criticised longstanding US alliances, casting doubt on Washington’s commitment to security in East Asia and alarming regional partners.

South Korea and the United States have shortened their annual joint military exercises. President Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in the US role in these drills. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise was significantly reduced in duration and scope. North Korea condemned the drills, calling them dangerous and hostile. This decision may also be linked to tensions concerning Iran and US-South Korea ties.

The sudden announcement comes just days after Trump wrote a fiery social media post slamming the joint drills as “hostile” and ordering Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale back future exercises.

South Korean media reported US President Donald Trump's orders to "substantially reduce" US participation in the exercises and his mention of his "very good relationship" with North Korea's leader.

Seoul: The South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the US's request, South Korean officials said Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises. 8월 17일(월)부터 27일(목)까지, 한미 연합방위태세 확립을 위한 2026 UFS(Ulchi Freedom Shield, 을지 자유의 방패) 연습이 실시됩니다.✅ 이번 UFS 연습은 한미가 연례적으로 실시하는 방어적 성격의 연습으로, 최근 전쟁 양상 결과 등 현실적인 상황을 연습 시나리오에 반영하였습니다.✅… pic.twitter.com/Ot1GJ9holP— 국방부 (@ROK_MND) August 17, 2026 The allies' summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday morning for an 11-day run, just after Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” them. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the US war against Iran.South Korea's military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the US would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. It said the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.‘New US Territory’: Trump Posts Map Of Strait Of Hormuz On Truth Social Many experts say Trump's move threatens to hurt combined US-South Korean readiness and eventually weaken their decades-long alliance.Ulchi Freedom Shield is largely a computer-simulated command post exercise meant to hone the allies' ability to deal with potential regional security threats like North Korean aggression. The two countries usually hold field training exercises during the command post exercise period.The drills and a similar springtime exercise are a central pillar of the US -South Korea alliance, which dates to the 1950-53 Korean War. But it's also a long-running source of tensions with North Korea, which has denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for war and responded with provocative missile tests.'Kim Jong Un Has Always Treated Me With Great Respect': US President Trump Hails Strong Rapport, Says His Approach Is Making Korean Peninsula Safer | Video North Korea hasn't responded to Trump's overture. But earlier Wednesday, its state news agency, KCNA, published commentary slamming the US-South Korean military drills as “frantic” and “extremely dangerous” and vowing to completely frustrate its rivals' hostilities.Experts said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, now emboldened by his advancing nuclear program and expanding military cooperation, won't likely embrace Trump's overture anytime soon unless he's promised bigger concessions. In response to Trump's previous outreach, Kim suggested last year that he can return to talks only after the US drops its demand of a North Korean denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy.Trump and Kim met three times from 2018-2019 but their high-stakes diplomacy eventually fell apart over wrangling over a North Korean demand for extensive sanctions relief in return for limited denuclearization steps.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

The move appears aimed at luring North Korean leader Kim Jong Un back to talks, years after denuclearization negotiations with Washington collapsed.

President Trump ordered the exercises be scaled back, citing what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.

South Korea said Wednesday that joint military exercises currently underway with the United States were being scaled back after President Donald Trump, citing his “very good” relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, ordered that they be reduced.

The US and South Korea agreed to curtail joint military drills after President Donald Trump ordered a reduction, citing his good relationship with Pyongyang.

The South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the US’ request, South Korean officials said on Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises. The allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday morning for an 11-day run, just after Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” them, citing what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea’s refusal to join the US war...

Trump cited his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un, paired with the high cost of the exercises, as the reasons behind his decision to scale the drills down.

Japan has warned that tight-knit security coordination with the United States and South Korea remains “critical” to regional stability, after US President Donald Trump moved to scale back major military drills with Seoul while touting his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mr Trump said on Sunday he had directed the Pentagon to reduce […]

U.S. President Donald Trump's social media post Sunday announcing that he ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint South Korea-U.S. military drills, came on the morning of the first day of the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercises. "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 on his Truth Social site. The comments were widely interpreted as a signal that Trump was seeking a meeting with the recalcitrant North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he has met three times during visits in Singapore, Hanoi and at Panmunjeom. On Tuesday, when asked by White House journalists why Kim had not responded to his efforts to reengage, Trump responded, "He has." But because Trump did not provide additional details, it is hard to determine what and when the response from the North came and in what fashion. Trump's position toward Seoul has made trade negotiations between the two countries a delicate dance. But Trump's latest

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon official said Monday that the U.S. Defense Department is "actively" working on executing U.S. President Donald Trump's directive on South Korea-U.S. military exercises, a day after Trump said he has ordered the Pentagon to "substantially" reduce the allies' drills. In a social media post, Trump said he has instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale back the joint military exercises in what was seen as a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea, just as Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise in South Korea. "The Department of War is actively working on executing the Commander-in-Chief's directive," an official from the department said in an "updated" statement on UFS and other bilateral exercises with South Korea. Hours earlier, the Pentagon said that it had no changes to announce regarding UFS, referring questions about Trump's comments or the broader scope of his policy direction to the White House. The updated statement raised speculation that the allied drills would be reduced despite concerns that such a move

President Donald Trump’s announcement that he is scaling back U.S. participation in long-standing, joint military drills in South Korea shows Washington’s willingness to turn away from traditional allies.

U.S. President cites cost of drills, Seoul’s refusal to act against Iran, and his ‘very good relationship’ with Kim Jong-un

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department said Monday that it has "no changes" to announce regarding the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercise, a day after President Donald Trump said he instructed the Pentagon to "substantially" reduce allied exercises. Trump unveiled his directive on the combined exercises with South Korea in a social media post on Sunday, as Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise intended to strengthen the allies' capabilities against potential North Korean aggression. "We have no changes to announce regarding Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 at this time," a Pentagon official told Yonhap News Agency via email. He referred questions regarding Trump's comments or the broader scope of his policy direction to the White House. The White House did not respond immediately to questions from Yonhap News Agency. In Sunday's Truth Social post, Trump announced his directive to scale back exercises with South Korea, noting that the drills are not only "costly" but also send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to the North.

Just hours before joint US-South Korean war games were due to begin, US President Donald Trump said he had instructed the Pentagon to dial back what he described as “inappropriate and hostile” exercises on the Korean peninsula. Pointing to his “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Mr Trump said he was unhappy about […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's order to reduce South Korea-U.S. military exercises is raising both hopes and concerns, as it could help ease tensions with North Korea but affect the allies' defense readiness amid Pyongyang's growing nuclear and missile threats. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said he has instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially" scale back exercises with the Asian ally, noting that the drills are not only "costly" but also send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to the North. The post came just as South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise intended to strengthen the allies' capabilities against potential North Korean aggression and test Seoul's ability to lead combined forces in a process to retake wartime operational control from Washington. Trump's directive raised cautious optimism for a resumption of diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But questions arose over whether it could hurt the allies' efforts to counter the North's advancing military threats, as

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" planned joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday night that he had ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the scale of "Ulchi Freedom Shield," joint military exercises with South Korea that take place annually and are expected to begin on Monday. The post Trump Orders Reduced South Korea Military Exercises, Citing Friendship with Kim Jong-un appeared first on Breitbart.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea could be an attempt to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the negotiating table, experts said Monday. Trump said Sunday that the exercises were costly and sent an "inappropriate and hostile signal" to North Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim and claiming Pyongyang "has been unthreatening and respectful" during his time in office. Noting that it was too late to cancel Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) outright since it was already scheduled to begin Monday, he said he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the annual exercise. The remarks came a day after Trump posted a photo of his 2019 meeting with Kim at Panmunjeom in the Joint Security Area within the Demilitarized Zone, writing that the two leaders "get along GREAT." Cheong Wa Dae responded by saying South Korea and the U.S. "have closely coordinated on maintaining a solid combined defense posture and on joint exercises and training." "We hope that the friendly relationship between the U

Washington's changing rhetoric and its rejection of traditional formats of cooperation are forcing Seoul to seek fundamentally new ways to ensure its security. Trump Yields to Kim's Demands and Cancels Military Exercises With Seoul US President Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in the number and scale of military exercises with South Korea, which had been a key demand from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for de-escalating the situation on the Korean Peninsula. "These exercises are not only expensive, since the United States of America pays most of the costs (as usual!), but also send a completely inappropriate and hostile signal to a country (North Korea) that, while Donald J. Trump was president, showed no threat and was respectful.”

Trump Says US To 'Substantially Reduce' Military Drills With S.Korea, Cites 'Very Good Relationship' With Kim President Trump revealed Sunday he has ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with longtime close ally South Korea, surprisingly mentioning his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a motivating factor in the decision. Trump said in a Truth Social posts that exercises, due to start on Monday, are costly and "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said "has been unthreatening and respectful" during his time in office. "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," Trump stated. Via CNN, from historic Trump-Kim meeting during the US President's first term. Not only did Trump have somewhat glowing things to say about Pyongyang - perhaps in an effort to again jump start the kind of direct diplomacy and meetings with Kim that marked his first term - but he at the same time denigrated some recent stances of South Korea on the global stage. He invoked Seoul's stance on the US-Israel war on Iran, which marked a huge disappointment for the White House. "I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!'" he said. Still, Trump lamented that it is actually too late to cancel the drills, and so ordered War Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" them. The 10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise kicked off Monday, and involves tens of thousands of military personnel from the United States, South Korea participate - but also other allied countries such as Australia. South Korea’s Ministry of Defense responded to media questions about Trump's post by saying the military exercises would "proceed as previously notified and scheduled." Going into this past weekend North Korea issued a severe warning over the upcoming joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, characterizing it as a rehearsal for an aggressive war and that it is is ready to respond. North Korea's Foreign Ministry described Friday that these planned drills look different, and will be more dangerous, compared to all prior ones of the past-half decade, in that they appear offensive in nature as the exercise will focus on modern warfare tactics. "The US announced that the forthcoming exercises are quite different from the ones of the past five years and intended to master the ability of fighting a war on the basis of the new aspects of modern warfare," the North Korea condemnation reads.  "By doing so, it did not conceal its aim to complete preparations for the substantial military confrontation with the DPRK. This is tantamount to an admission that the exercises, which the US and the ROK describe as 'annual' and 'defensive' ones, are a rehearsal for an aggressive war," the ministry added in a statement published by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Beyond trying to possibly inject new life into Washington diplomacy with Pyongyang, it's unclear what the ultimate aim of Trump's conciliatory social media post is. Is he perhaps trying to signal China? Is he really just angry at Seoul? Or he's maybe worried over Kim's nuclear expanse and modernization drive, and so wishes to start dealing with that in more direction fashion? Tyler Durden Mon, 08/17/2026 - 08:20

President Donald Trump told the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea. In a social post on Sunday, Trump indicated his frustration that the US ally hadn’t provided more support for his war with Iran as a 10-day joint exercise involving some 18,000 South Korean troops was scheduled to begin. Tyler Kendall reports on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)

Joint military drills between South Korea and US troops went ahead as planned on Monday despite US President Donald Trump's statement that he had ordered them to be scaled back out of respect for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

US and South Korean forces began on Monday joint military drills as planned, despite Donald Trump calling for them to be scaled back. Trump said the exercises were too costly and hostile toward North Korea, while critics warned reducing them could weaken South Korea’s security. The drills are set to continue until August 28.

A U.S. Marine leads a military vehicle at a beach during a joint field training exercise conducted by the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command in Pohang on July 15, 2026.President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he has ordered the Pentagon to scale back the joint military exercises with South Korea that began this week. In a Truth Social post, the president said his decision was based on his “very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” and described North Korea as “unthreatening and respectful.” He also condemned South Korea for declining to help the US de-nuclearise Iran.The joint exercises were expected to last 11 days and involve 18,000 South Korean soldiers, The Associated Press reported. In a statement carried by state media Friday, North Korea described the training as “a rehearsal for an aggressive war.”Trump said that he sees the exercises as “hostile” to North Korea and costly for the US, but because it was too late to cancel them, he had ordered a reduction instead.On Saturday, Trump posted a photo of himself standing next to the North Korean dictator and said the two get along well “despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture.”It wasn’t immediately clear what scaling back the exercises would entail. South Korea’s Defense Ministry told AP that the drills had started on Monday local time as planned.According to The New York Times, the two countries have conducted joint military exercises for over 70 years. Such exercises have been dedicated to honing the readiness of US and South Korean troops so they’re prepared to respond to North Korea’s military and weapons capabilities.Historically, North Korean leaders have criticized the exercises while finding ways to capitalize on them. Experts told The AP that North Korea has used the exercises as a “pretext” to do its own weapons testing and curry goodwill for Kim. Just last week, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea ahead of the start of the drills.A U.S. Marine leads a military vehicle at a beach during a joint field training exercise conducted by the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command in Pohang on July 15, 2026.It’s also not the first time that Trump has sought to curtail the exercises. He suspended the exercises in 2018 as part of denuclearization talks with North Korea, BBC News reported. Critics of Trump’s announcement on Sunday emphasized that the move essentially aligned the US president with an authoritarian leader, while undermining America’s long relationship with South Korea.“Our ability to help defend our ally against the North Koreans is because our forces are well trained and able to coordinate with the South Koreans,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) wrote on X. “Hollowing out these joint exercises is shortsighted and a mistake.”Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Trump Proudly Showed Off A Glowing Headline. There Was Just 1 Super Awkward Catch.Another Taylor Swift Song Has Been Pulled From A Post By The Trump AdministrationObama Smirks At Trump's Interior Design Obsession — And Boy, Is It Pure Gold

U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea could be an attempt to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the negotiating table, experts said Monday. Trump said Sunday that the exercises were costly and sent an "inappropriate and hostile signal" to North Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim and claiming Pyongyang "has been unthreatening and respectful" during his time in office. Noting that it was too late to cancel Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) outright since it was already scheduled to begin Monday, he said he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the annual exercise. The remarks came a day after Trump posted a photo of his 2019 meeting with Kim at Panmunjeom in the Joint Security Area within the Demilitarized Zone, writing that the two leaders "get along GREAT." This appears to be the first time since the start of his second term that Trump has ordered joint exercises scaled back. During his first term, after his June 2018 summit with Kim in Singapore, he referred to joint military

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the drills send an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea and citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un.

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back annual US-South Korean military drills, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The move comes as Pyongyang deepens military ties with Moscow and sends troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Hours before exercises are scheduled to begin, Trump says on his Truth Social site he was 'not happy' that the US had agreed to participate and highlights his 'very good relationship' with Kim Jong-un

President Trump explained the decision by saying South Korea had declined to help with the "denuclearization" of Iran and he cited his good relationship with North Korea's leader.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” 10 days of joint military exercises with South Korea as they were about to get underway, citing the cost of the drills and Seoul’s refusal to take part in actions against Iran. Hours before exercises were scheduled to begin, Trump said on his […]

US President Donald Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” 10 days of joint military exercises with South Korea as they were about to get underway, citing the cost of the drills and Seoul’s refusal to take part in actions against Iran. Hours before exercises were scheduled to begin, Trump said on his Truth Social site that although it was too late to cancel the drills entirely, he was “not happy” that the US had previously agreed to participate and highlighted his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “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. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises are scheduled to run from August 17 to 27, with about 18,000 South Korean military personnel participating. The drills are expected to include operations to counter drones, disrupt GPS signals and cyberattacks to adapt to North Korea’s evolving capabilities, officials said last week. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told Reuters that the drills started on Monday as scheduled, but declined comment on Trump’s comments. The country’s presidential office and defence and foreign ministries did not immediately respond on a public holiday in Seoul. A Pentagon spokesperson referred questions on the matter to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for more information on next steps for the drills. Up-and-down relationship Trump has long sought to end or curtail military exercises with South Korea, going back to his first term, calling them “provocative” and costly. He has also clashed with Seoul over sharing the costs of stationing 28,500 US troops in South Korea and their role in securing the broader region. Pyongyang routinely denounces the US-South Korean exercises as preparations for an invasion. North Korea last Wednesday fired a ballistic missile from its eastern coast towards the Sea of Japan, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, six days after a similar North Korean short-range ballistic missile launch on August 6. Trump may be trying to improve relations with Kim, said Jenny Town, head of the Stimson Centre think tank’s 38 North programme. “This decision may be part of a larger effort to create a diplomatic opportunity with Pyongyang, as Trump has consistently wanted since coming back to office, although the haphazard nature of this move is unlikely to make much of an impression in Pyongyang,” Town said in an email. The relationship between Trump and Kim has been a roller coaster for years. Trump once mocked the North Korean leader as “little rocket man” and threatened Pyongyang with “fire and fury,” while Kim boasted that he would “tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire”. Yet they also took part in three summits, with Trump declaring, “we fell in love” after exchanging letters with Kim. None of these efforts led to changes in North Korea’s nuclear weapons or ballistic missile development. Even as Trump on Sunday spoke warmly of nuclear-armed North Korea, he pointed to South Korea’s stance on the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. “While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump wrote. Exercises shift to simulations It’s unclear how the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills could be cut back, but in recent years, they have shifted away from live-fire exercises to computer-simulated missile and cyberattacks. US military officials have said that North Korean troops, who have fought alongside Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, have gained experience from the conflict, including the growing use of unmanned systems, electronic warfare and cyber operations. Ukraine said last week that North Korean-made missiles were used in a Russian ballistic missile attack on a steel plant in Zaporizhzhia that killed seven workers and forced a production halt, with Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missiles also used in the attack. A high-ranking US Northern Command official, Lieutenant General Joseph Jarrard, last week warned that North Korea had successfully tested intercontinental ballistic missiles with “enough boost to deliver a nuclear payload anywhere in North America,” complicating US homeland defence efforts.

President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back its planned joint military exercises with South Korea.

President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the Pentagon to scale back "inappropriate and hostile" military drills with South Korea, claiming that the ally had failed to help with the war against Iran and citing his "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.  

The US president previously slammed the joint drills as “provocative” in 2018 following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back its planned joint military exercises with South Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has instructed the Pentagon to "substantially" reduce joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, in what appears to be a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea. Trump made the remarks in a social media post, saying the exercises are not only "costly" but also send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to the North. The post came as Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, which Pyongyang has long decried as rehearsals for war. "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," Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the North Korean leader. "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), 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," he added. Trump the

President Donald Trump said he told the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the cost of the drills and the signal they send to North Korea. Bloomberg's John Herskovitz breaks down the situation. (Source: Bloomberg)

US president cites cost of drills, Seoul's refusal to join war against Iran

"These exercises are not only costly... but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile," he wrote in a Truth Social post.

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” about US participation in joint military exercises with close ally South Korea and is scaling back the drills aimed at deterring rival North Korea that start Monday. Trump’s comments on Sunday, ahead of the annual “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercise in South Korea, underscored his willingness to challenge long-standing military alliances, as he harked back to his negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term that failed in the goal of tackling its nuclear program. “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North […]...Keep on reading: Trump says US scaling back military drills with South Korea

US president says he's 'not happy' about the drills, citing his 'very good relationship' with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

US President Donald Trump said he has instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises.

Donald Trump orders a substantial reduction in US-South Korea military drills, citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un and the high costs involved. Read More: https://punchng.com/trump-orders-reduction-in-us-south-korea-military-drills-cites-kim-jong-un-ties/

US President Donald Trump orders the Pentagon to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help denuclearise Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, citing costs and a hostile signal to Kim Jong Un amid North Korea tensions.

The president said he has directed the Pentagon to scale down the exercises, citing South Korea’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

President Trump said Sunday that the joint military exercises with South Korea are costly and they "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has instructed the Pentagon chief to "substantially" reduce joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, noting that those exercises are not only "costly" but also send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea. Trump made the remarks in a social media post as Seoul and Washington are set to kick off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise this week, which Pyongyang has long decried as war rehearsals. "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," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), 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," he added. He then noted, "Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pe

The president cited the cost of the drills and said he did not want to send a signal that is "totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea. He also criticized South Korea for not helping him on Iran.

US President Donald Trump said he was "not happy" about US participation in joint military exercises with close ally South Korea and is scaling back the drills aimed at deterring rival North Korea that start Monday. The post Trump orders reduction of US-South Korea military drills, ‘not happy’ with exercises appeared first on Vanguard News.

The US president said he instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce the “costly” joint military exercises and noted ally South Korea’s refusal to assist his actions against Iran.

President Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help denuclearize Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

In a social media post, the president scolded South Korea for not helping denuclearize Iran, and also praised North Korea and its leader.

US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea after the Republican president said South Korea declined to help denuclearise Iran. Trump said in a social media post that the exercises scheduled to begin this week are costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” while Trump has been in the White House. “Therefore, and based on the...

Trump says he ordered cuts to U.S.-South Korea military exercises, citing ties with Kim Jong Un.

The US president said he instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce the “costly” joint military exercises and noted ally South Korea’s refusal to assist his actions against Iran.

The US president said he instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce the “costly” joint military exercises and noted ally South Korea’s refusal to assist his actions against Iran.

Trump said in a social media post that the exercises slated to begin this week are costly and "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said "has been unthreatening and respectful" while Trump has been in the White House.

Citing his ties with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, as well as Seoul's decision not to join U.S.-led actions against Iran, Trump said he was "not happy" with the current situation.

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site that, although it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely, he was "not happy" that the United States had previously agreed to participate.

President Trump said Sunday he told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” the joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he’s “not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate” in these joint military exercises. He also noted that South Korea...

The US president cites Seoul’s refusal to join actions against Iran and his 'very good relationship' with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Joint US military exercises with South Korea will be downscaled, Donald Trump says, as they are "hostile" and too expensive.

Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea in a social media post that also mentions Seoul's refusal to take part in actions against Iran. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site that, although it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely, he was "not happy" that the United States had previously agreed to participate. The U.S. president also cited his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

By Costas Pitas and David LawderWASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" 10 days of joint military exercises with South Korea as they were about to get underway, citing the cost of the drills andSeoul's refusal to take part in actions against Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help denuclearize Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

President Donald Trump said he has directed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, reducing support for a longtime ally while praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises,” with South Korea, President Donald Trump says in a post on Truth Social.