The United States cancels a joint amphibious landing drill with South Korea scheduled for next month, Seoul’s Marine Corps says. The cancellation follows a U.S. notification to its South Korean counterpart in June that U.S. force availability would be constrained for the division-level Ssangyong exercise.
Seoul says the decision is linked to constraints on U.S. forces tied to the war in Iran. The Korea Times also places the cancellation in a broader pattern, noting that President Donald Trump ordered a separate annual joint military exercise to be scaled back last week, citing cost concerns and South Korea’s refusal to participate in the Iran war. The Korea Times adds that both allies continue consultations about resuming the drills, while it does not specify how training opportunities might be replaced.
Other outlets focus primarily on the direct reason for cancellation—U.S. force constraints related to Iran—without extending the context further. U.S. Forces Korea does not immediately comment in the reporting provided.
