Trump Orders Significant Reduction in Joint Military Drills with South Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to “significantly reduce” the scale of joint military exercises with South Korea. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said the drills were costly and sent a “completely inappropriate and hostile signal” to North Korea.

The annual exercise, named Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), is scheduled to run from August 17 to 27. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, I am not pleased with the long-standing U.S. agreement to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea.” He said it was too late to cancel the drills, so he had ordered Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to “significantly reduce” their scale.

The U.S. leader also expressed frustration that Seoul did not support Washington in its conflict with Iran. According to Trump, when he asked the South Korean president whether the country would join the effort to “denuclearize the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the South Korean side replied, “No, thank you!” Seoul has not yet issued an official response to this claim.

The UFS exercises are an annual event between Washington and Seoul, dating back to 1976, focused on defending South Korea against North Korea. According to the U.S. Forces Korea website, the exercises include “field training, simulations, and combined military activities.” Several countries, including Australia, the UK, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, have participated in the past. The 11-day exercise is expected to involve 18,000 South Korean troops and 28,500 U.S. service members stationed in the region.

Each year, North Korea typically protests these drills by testing missiles or launching ballistic missiles toward South Korea. Last week, Pyongyang condemned the UFS exercises as a provocation that escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula. On August 12, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan—its second test in less than a week. On Friday, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused U.S.-Japan-South Korea military cooperation of turning into a nuclear alliance, and declared that Pyongyang would respond to new threats with “a new level of deterrence.”

This is not the first time Trump has objected to joint exercises. In 2018, after his summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Trump called the drills “expensive” and “provocative.” He has also expressed a desire to reduce U.S. troop levels on the Korean Peninsula in the future.

Analyzing the decision, Christopher Green, senior advisor for the Korean Peninsula at the International Crisis Group, suggested that Trump's move is linked to the conflict with Iran. “President Trump seems genuinely offended that allies are not supporting the U.S. in the conflict with Iran. His comments on this matter should not be taken lightly,” Green said.

Meanwhile, South Korea said the exercises with the U.S. will still proceed as planned. A spokesperson for the South Korean presidential office said the government noted Trump's message and expressed hope that the close relationship between the North Korean and U.S. leaders would lead to meaningful talks to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump's decision comes as the U.S. and Israel are conducting military operations against Iran, just days after North Korea's latest missile launch. Kim Jong Un has strengthened ties with Moscow and participated in a trilateral partnership with Russia and China in Beijing in 2025.

Green assessed that Trump's announcement could be a signal he wants to send to North Korea to resume dialogue. However, he also doubted Kim's readiness: “I don't think Kim Jong Un is particularly interested in that right now. But that remains to be seen.”

The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, but according to the U.S. State Department, Washington's policy is to “ensure peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, including the pursuit of complete denuclearization.” In 2019, Trump sought a commitment from Kim to halt missile and nuclear weapons tests, in exchange for Pyongyang's demand for the lifting of economic sanctions—an issue that became a sticking point that led to the collapse of the Hanoi summit. The two leaders have not met since then.