President Donald Trump announced on August 16 that he has directed a significant reduction in the US-South Korea joint military exercises.
According to reports from AP and Reuters, Trump stated on social media platform Truth Social, "It is too late to cancel the exercises, so I have instructed Secretary of Defense Hegges to significantly reduce the joint military training."
Trump's comments come ahead of the upcoming joint military exercise, 'Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)', which is set to begin on August 17 and run until August 27. While UFS is expected to proceed as planned, details on which specific drills will be scaled back have not yet been disclosed.
He explained, "Considering that Chairman Kim Jong-un and I have a very good relationship, I do not like the fact that the United States has long agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea."
Trump also noted that these joint exercises are "costly," with a significant portion of the expenses being borne by the United States, as is typically the case. He described the exercises as sending "entirely inappropriate and hostile signals" to countries that have not posed a threat to the US and have respected it since he took office.
This marks the first time since his second term began that Trump has publicly criticized the US-South Korea joint military exercises and ordered a reduction in them.
North Korea has consistently condemned the US-South Korea joint exercises as "invasion war drills." Trump's recent remarks are interpreted as a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea. The day before, he had also posted a photo with Kim Jong-un on Truth Social, stating, "We may not look friendly in this picture, but we get along very well."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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