President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has directed the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, a key long-standing ally central to United States security strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.
In a lengthy social media statement, Trump criticized Seoul for not assisting in the denuclearization of Iran. Simultaneously, he praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claiming Pyongyang has acted in an “unthreatening and respectful” manner during his presidency.
Notably, Trump omitted past tensions from 2017, when Kim Jong Un referred to him as a “mentally deranged dotard” following a United Nations address in which Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary to defend the U.S. or its allies.
Trump focused solely on his self-proclaimed “very good relationship” with North Korea and its leader, expressing dissatisfaction with U.S. participation in long-standing joint military drills with South Korea, arguing that these exercises undermine his diplomatic efforts.
In the post, Trump argued that the exercises are excessively costly, primarily borne by U.S. taxpayers, and send an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea, which he maintains has been peaceful and respectful during his tenure.
Trump explained that canceling the exercises entirely at this stage was not feasible, so he instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” American involvement.
These joint military exercises have been a cornerstone of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, conducted regularly since 1955 following the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.
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