Trump reduces scale of US-South Korea drills over North Korea

President Trump announced the US would significantly scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other reasons.

In a social media post on 16/8, President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the US's long-standing participation in joint military exercises with South Korea, while emphasizing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"The exercises are not only costly, with the US typically bearing most of the expense, but also send an entirely inappropriate and hostile signal to a country that has always shown respect and is not a threat as long as Donald J. Trump is President of the United States", he wrote.

US soldiers during the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in august 2025. Video: US Army

The US leader added that it was too late to cancel the joint exercises, so he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "drastically reduce" this activity.

When asked to comment on Trump's post, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated that joint exercises with the US would proceed "as announced and scheduled".

Trump's statement came just before the opening of the joint US-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, an annual summer drill aimed at training the combined forces' defensive capabilities against North Korea.

North Korea has always opposed joint US-South Korea exercises, claiming they are preparations for an invasion.

On 15/8, President Trump posted photos of his 2019 meeting with the North Korean leader at the truce village of Panmunjom, reiterating that the two "got along very well". Trump held negotiations with Kim during his first presidential term but failed to resolve Pyongyang's nuclear program. The two leaders last met in 2019.

Trump and Kim during their meeting at Panmunjom village in 2019. Photo: Truth Social/realDonaldTrump

AFP cited experts as saying that North Korea has expanded its nuclear and missile capabilities since negotiations between the two leaders broke down. The White House has repeatedly stated that President Trump remains ready for dialogue with the North Korean leader "without preconditions".

President Trump has shown a willingness to challenge long-standing alliances, as he did with NATO. He criticized Western partners for refusing to support the US in its conflict with Iran.

In his 16/8 post, the US President also targeted South Korea on this issue. "Recently I asked the President of South Korea if they wanted to join us in denuclearizing Iran, but they replied, 'No, thank you'", Trump wrote.

The US currently has approximately 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to bolster its defense capabilities against the military threat from North Korea. This is a consequence of the 1950-1953 war, which ended with an armistice agreement instead of a peace treaty. US forces regularly conduct joint exercises with South Korea.