Trump Orders US-South Korea Military Drills Cut Back, Citing North Korea Ties

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to significantly reduce planned military exercises with South Korea, just hours before the drills were scheduled to begin.

Trump said the joint exercises were “inappropriate and hostile” toward North Korea, pointing to what he described as his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

However, South Korean officials said the exercises began as scheduled and expressed hope that Trump’s relationship with Kim could eventually help restart diplomatic talks.

Trump Criticises Joint Military Exercises

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was unhappy that the United States had agreed to participate in the annual military drills with South Korea.

He argued that the exercises were expensive and sent an unfriendly message to Pyongyang.

Trump also said it was too late to cancel the exercises completely, but revealed that he had instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” their scale.

The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are designed to prepare US and South Korean forces for a potential conflict with North Korea.

Seoul Says Drills Started As Planned

Despite Trump’s announcement, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said the exercises began as previously scheduled.

The South Korean presidential office said Seoul remained in close contact with Washington and expressed hope that the personal relationship between Trump and Kim could eventually lead to meaningful dialogue.

North Korea has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s latest announcement.

Pyongyang has repeatedly condemned the annual US-South Korea exercises, describing them as preparations for an invasion.

North Korea Expands Military Capabilities

The drills come amid growing concerns over North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile programmes and its increasingly close relationship with Russia.

Pyongyang recently test-fired a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan and warned that it could respond to the military exercises with what it called a “new level of deterrent.”

The United States currently maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of its longstanding security commitment to Seoul.

Experts Warn Of Weakened Deterrence

Some analysts have warned that reducing the exercises could weaken military coordination between Washington and Seoul.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, said scaling back the drills could damage alliance coordination and weaken deterrence against potential conflicts in Asia.

North Korea expert Lim Eul-chul also argued that Pyongyang was unlikely to consider the move significant unless the exercises were cancelled completely.

“The North will only view it as meaningful if the joint exercises are cancelled in their entirety rather than scaled back,” he said.

China Welcomes Possibility Of Dialogue

China said maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and pursuing a political settlement were in the interests of all parties.

Beijing’s comments came as other US allies in Asia reassess their security arrangements amid uncertainty over Washington’s military commitments.

Taiwan, which relies heavily on its security relationship with the United States, has meanwhile proposed record defence spending of more than $35 billion for 2027.

Trump’s latest decision has therefore added to wider uncertainty over US military strategy in East Asia, while raising questions about whether his relationship with Kim Jong Un could eventually lead to a resumption of nuclear negotiations.