Trump orders US to scale back military drills with South Korea over his ‘very good’ relationship with Kim Jong Un

Trump Instructs Reduction in US-South Korea Joint Military Exercises, Cites Relations with North Korea

President Donald Trump directed a substantial reduction in planned joint military exercises with South Korea, stating the decision stemmed from his assessment of relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement came hours before the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise was scheduled to begin on Monday.

The drills were set to involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops, US forces, and personnel from 12 of the 18 member states of the United Nations Command. Trump posted on Truth Social that he had instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to scale back the exercises despite the late timing preventing full cancellation. He described the drills as costly, with significant expenses borne by the United States, and said they conveyed an inappropriate signal to North Korea.

Trump wrote that North Korea had remained unthreatening and respectful during his presidency. He also stated that he had asked South Korea to participate in efforts toward denuclearization of Iran and that Seoul had declined. In a separate post, Trump shared a 2019 photograph of himself with Kim and noted positive interactions between the two leaders.

North Korea conducted at least two ballistic missile tests in August 2026 in the period immediately preceding the announcement. South Korea’s defense ministry stated that the annual exercise would proceed as previously notified and scheduled. Officials indicated that this year’s scenarios incorporated observations of North Korean troop tactics, including drone operations, drawn from reported battlefield experience in other conflicts.

Trump previously suspended or scaled back major US-South Korea military exercises during his first term after the 2018 summit with Kim. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise was canceled at that time, and additional drills were reduced.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, stated that the exercises support force readiness and demonstrate allied capabilities. He said reductions could affect coordination, the transfer of defense responsibilities to South Korea, and deterrence in the region. Easley noted that cost savings from smaller drills are limited and that diplomatic gains with North Korea remain uncertain. He added that Pyongyang has shown no recent interest in talks with Washington or Seoul on denuclearization and continues military modernization alongside economic and military ties with Russia and China. Easley further observed that difficulties in separate US-Iran negotiations do not strengthen US positioning with North Korea following the 2019 Hanoi summit.

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly described the reduction in joint exercises as shortsighted. North Korea has issued warnings against the drills in prior years and described them as contributing to regional instability. Pyongyang has expanded its nuclear and missile programs since the collapse of the 2019 Trump-Kim summit, with analysts stating that additional weapons development could factor into future negotiations.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise forms one of two major annual training events between the United States and South Korea. Training adjustments in recent years have addressed evolving threats, including those observed in the past five years.