US cancels Ssangyong amphibious drills with South Korea, citing Iran war constraints

South Korea announced on Monday that the United States had cancelled a joint amphibious landing exercise scheduled for next month, attributing the decision to constraints on the availability of US forces caused by the war in Iran. The exercise, known as Ssangyong, is a biennial, division-level drill involving marine forces from both countries, designed to strengthen combined operations with warships, aircraft, and ground forces rehearsing amphibious landings.

According to Han Seung-jeon, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps, the US Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that its ability to deploy forces for this year's Ssangyong exercise would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East. Han told reporters at a news briefing that Seoul and Washington were continuing consultations on resuming the amphibious exercise, though he did not specify what measures might be taken to prevent future cancellations or to make up for lost training opportunities.

US Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the Pentagon also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Seoul's announcement. Later on Monday, the US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun about a "range of issues" in their alliance, with Rubio telling his counterpart that Washington and Seoul need to remain in close coordination on matters integral to their alliance.

The cancellation follows President Donald Trump's surprise order last week to scale back the separate annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which ended on Friday with only about half of its scheduled programme complete. The exercise, which involves about 18,000 South Korean troops and participants from 11 other American ally nations, was cut from its original 11-day schedule, running from August 17 to 27, down to five days.

Trump cited the high cost of the exercises and Seoul's refusal to take part in US efforts on Iran as reasons for the reduction. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he wrote that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent "a signal that was totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful." Trump also wrote that he had instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the joint military exercises after South Korea declined to join US efforts on denuclearizing Iran.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun admitted that officials did not know of Trump's intent to scale down the exercise in advance, telling lawmakers that neither the South Korean government nor US officials knew what Trump would write on Truth Social and that they had no prior notice. A US defense official said the reduced exercises preserve essential readiness and training objectives with no degradation of US training goals.

Despite the reduction, North Korea fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement denouncing the exercises. North Korea has long condemned such joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

Fallout and alliance concerns

The moves have stirred concerns among US allies in the region, with the decision rattling Taiwan and Japan, which have long relied on US security guarantees. Jo Bee-yun, a Senior Research Fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Trump's unilateral decision to pull troops early has shaken South Korean confidence in the US as an ally, describing the alliance as "a matter of life-and-death." There is also fear that Trump may go further and draw down the approximately 27,000 to 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea or abandon the longstanding policy of denuclearising the North, all without consulting its ally.

Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute said Seoul must maintain its US alliance but also take steps to acquire its own nuclear deterrence. A majority of the South Korean public supports a nuclear South Korea, while the government has argued acquiring the bomb is unnecessary and harmful to alliances.

President Lee Jae Myung praised Trump on X, calling the social media post a bold decision for peace, and pledged to increase defence spending, saying he fully agrees the country should be responsible for its security.

Trump has said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year and seeks to revive their relationship, saying it is important to "get along" with Kim. He said Pyongyang now had 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, while Seoul estimates North Korea has around 80 to 120 such weapons. Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term, but Pyongyang accelerated its nuclear programmes after their 2019 summit in Hanoi collapsed without an agreement on denuclearisation. After the 2018 summit, Trump announced a suspension of joint military drills with South Korea.

Kim Yo Jong dismissed the scaling down of drills, saying reducing scale or duration does not change their provocative and aggressive nature and does not merit North Korea's interest. Trump has claimed he enjoys a great relationship with Kim and told reporters Kim likes him, but Kim Yo Jong said she knew nothing about Trump's claim her brother had contacted him recently.

The two Koreas are technically still at war because they did not sign a peace treaty after the Korean War. Days before Ulchi Freedom Shield, North Korea launched ballistic missiles towards Japan, with more missiles launched on Thursday.

The Trump administration has complained that South Korea's about $1 billion annual spending to host US troops is not enough, that it is dragging its feet on a $350 billion investment pledge, and that it discriminates against US companies. The move to scale back exercises comes as some analysts argue US alliances are not charity but part of American power projection.

Perspectives

US administration: President Trump has framed the reduction of exercises as a cost-saving measure and a signal to North Korea, which he says has been "unthreatening and respectful" under his leadership. He has linked the decision to South Korea's refusal to join US efforts on Iran and has emphasised his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un, hoping to revive diplomacy.

South Korean government: While acknowledging the cancellation, Seoul has tried to present the decision as one of mutual agreement, though Foreign Minister Cho Hyun admitted officials did not know in advance. President Lee Jae Myung has praised Trump's decision as a bold move for peace and pledged to increase defence spending, while the government continues to oppose nuclear armament.

South Korean experts and analysts: Analysts such as Jo Bee-yun and Cheong Seong-chang have expressed concern about the reliability of US security guarantees, with some calling for Seoul to develop its own nuclear deterrence. A majority of the public supports such a move, reflecting shaken confidence in the alliance.

North Korea: Kim Yo Jong dismissed the scaling down of drills, saying it does not change their provocative nature. Pyongyang has continued to fire missiles and denounce the exercises as rehearsals for invasion.