US President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that Washington will "substantially reduce" the joint military exercises it conducts with South Korea. In a post on Truth Social, Trump indirectly criticised South Korea's government refusal to support the United States in the "denuclearisation" of Iran, while also mentioning his good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong un.
"These exercises are not only costly, and much of these costs are paid by the United States of America (as usual!), but they send a totally inappropriate and hostile signal to a country that, since Donald J. Trump has been president, has shown itself to be peaceful and respectful," Trump wrote referring to North Korea. Although he indicated it was "too late to cancel" the manoeuvres scheduled to begin on Monday, he asked Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to reduce them "substantially".
In his post, Trump noted that South Korea recently refused to join the United States in the "denuclearisation" of Iran. "Recently I asked the president of South Korea if they would like to join us in the denuclearisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and he said to me: 'No, thank you!'," the president wrote.
Last week, military officials from both countries announced the Ulchi Freedom Shield programme, an 11-day event with the participation of around 18,000 South Korean soldiers. During the presentation, US military officials also mentioned the deployment of North Korean troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, and noted that the training takes this threat into account.
The decision is not unprecedented. Trump completely suspended these exercises in 2018 during denuclearisation negotiations with Kim, and they were reduced again in 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic. The announcement also reflects the frustration expressed by Trump towards other allies, including Japan, France and the United Kingdom, over their reluctance to become involved in the US conflict against Iran.