US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the drills are costly and send a 'hostile' signal to North Korea. The announcement, made Sunday in a social media post, cited South Korea's refusal to join efforts to denuclearise Iran and Mr Trump's relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
A 'Hostile' Signal
Mr Trump wrote that the exercises, slated to begin this week, 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. He said he had instructed 'Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth' to 'substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises,' adding that 'it is too late to cancel.'
The president also said he had asked South Korea's president to join the US in its efforts to denuclearise Iran, 'and they said, 'No thanks!''
South Korea Responds
A South Korean defence ministry spokesperson said the exercises would proceed as scheduled, according to reports. The 11-day exercises, involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers, were designed to boost readiness against North Korean threats.
North Korea's Warning
North Korea on Friday threatened unspecified stern steps against the US and South Korea, describing their military drills as 'a rehearsal for an aggressive war.' The warning was typical of the harsh rhetoric North Korea often deploys ahead of major US-South Korean military exercises. Experts say North Korea has often used its rivals' drills as a pretext to ramp up testing activities to expand its weapons arsenals.
Background
US and South Korean forces were expected to practise joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of pre-positioned military equipment. The US military has said the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises reinforce the role of the alliance as a linchpin for regional peace and security.
North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing days before the joint training, with a short-range ballistic missile launch detected earlier in the month. The missile landed in waters off North Korea's east coast, and was the country's first such testing activity since late June.
Mr Trump met Kim three times during his first term, most recently in 2019. A day before the announcement, he posted a photo of himself with Mr Kim, commenting that they get along great 'despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture.' In 2018, Mr Trump announced stopping war games with South Korea, calling them 'provocative.'