President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to reduce joint military training with South Korea, according to U.S. defence officials. The move reflects a shift in the Trump administration's approach to the United States' traditional military allies in Asia.
Regular training exercises between U.S. and South Korean forces have been a central feature of the military alliance between the two countries for decades. U.S. officials did not immediately specify the full scope of the ordered reductions or their impact on regional defensive coordination.
South Korea, which shares a demilitarised border with its northern neighbour, depends on the U.S. military umbrella as part of its national security strategy. Joint manoeuvres between Washington and Seoul are conducted regularly as part of mutual defence commitments under the bilateral alliance treaty.
