De-escalation: Trump Cuts Military Drills With South Korea

Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce U.S. participation in the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills with South Korea, calling them expensive and a “totally inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea. He added it was too late to cancel outright but directed that the exercises be scaled back.

He tied the move to Seoul’s refusal to help in his war with Iran, asking why the U.S. should protect a partner that would not “give us a little hand,” and said the U.S. has 39,000 soldiers in South Korea. He said Kim Jong Un had treated him with “great respect” and had responded positively to his outreach, adding his approach was making the peninsula “much safer.”

The drills began as planned in South Korea, with about 18,000 South Korean troops participating, while Seoul said it would keep coordinating and welcomed the prospect of renewed dialogue. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. In the days before the announcement, North Korea fired missiles and warned of a “new level” of nuclear deterrence over the exercises.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources