Daijiworld Media Network -Washington

Washington, Aug 17: US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce planned joint military exercises with South Korea, just as the annual drills were set to begin, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s refusal to support US efforts to denuclearise Iran.

Trump made the announcement on Sunday, August 16, a day before the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were scheduled to begin. Around 18,000 South Korean troops were expected to participate in the drills, which are aimed at strengthening the allies’ combined military readiness against potential threats from North Korea.

Trump said he had instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” the exercises, arguing that they were expensive and could send an inappropriate signal to North Korea.

Pointing to his relationship with Kim Jong Un, Trump said North Korea had been “unthreatening and respectful” during his presidency and suggested that the exercises could be perceived by Pyongyang as hostile.

Trump acknowledged that the drills were already due to begin and that it was too late to cancel them completely. He therefore directed the Pentagon to scale them back instead.

The US President also cited South Korea’s position on Iran while explaining his decision. Trump said he had recently asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to join US efforts to denuclearise Iran, but claimed that Seoul had declined.

Although Trump acknowledged that the two matters were “somewhat unrelated”, he nevertheless referred to South Korea’s refusal as part of his reasoning for reducing the military exercises.

The decision comes amid tensions between Washington and some of its allies over support for US military operations and broader foreign policy priorities.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual US-South Korea military exercise designed to strengthen the two countries’ combined defence readiness. The 2026 drills were scheduled to run for 11 days and involve around 18,000 South Korean troops.

The exercises include live, virtual, constructive and field-based training aimed at preparing allied forces for complex scenarios involving potential North Korean threats. Planned activities include a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and manoeuvres, a wet-gap crossing and the distribution of pre-positioned military equipment.

US and South Korean forces have consistently described the exercises as defensive in nature and necessary to maintain the alliance’s readiness.

Trump’s announcement came just days after North Korea criticised the planned drills and threatened unspecified “stern” measures against the US and South Korea. Pyongyang has routinely described the annual exercises as rehearsals for an aggressive war, with such warnings often preceding the drills.

North Korea has also previously used the exercises as a justification for weapons tests. Pyongyang recently resumed ballistic missile testing following a pause, with South Korea, the US and Japan detecting a short-range ballistic missile launch earlier this month. It was North Korea’s first ballistic weapons test since late June.

Trump’s latest move also came a day after he shared a photograph of himself with Kim Jong Un and spoke positively about their relationship.

Trump and Kim met three times during Trump’s first presidential term as part of efforts to address North Korea’s nuclear programme. Their diplomacy ultimately collapsed in 2019, after which North Korea continued expanding its nuclear and missile capabilities.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has again expressed interest in reviving talks with Kim.

This is not the first time Trump has sought to scale back or suspend US-South Korea military exercises. Following his 2018 summit with Kim in Singapore, Trump announced that the US would stop what he described as “war games”, calling the exercises costly and provocative.

He had said the drills could resume if negotiations with North Korea failed to make progress.

The latest announcement marks a return to that approach, but comes at a time when North Korea has resumed missile testing and expanded its military cooperation with Russia.