Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea

President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to reduce the scope of upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea, claiming the drills are costly and pose a hostile signal to North Korea. The exercises, involving 18,000 South Korean troops, were intended to bolster defenses against North Korean threats, but Trump stated North Korea has been "unthreatening and respectful" since his time in office.

He had previously invited South Korea to join the U.S. in efforts to denuclearize Iran, to which Seoul reportedly declined. North Korea threatened stern measures against the U.S. and South Korea following the announcement, describing the drills as a rehearsal for an aggressive war. Experts suggest North Korea employs such rhetoric to justify expanded testing of weapons and bolster support for leader Kim Jong Un.

Despite Trump's previous meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where talks about the nuclear program were held, including one in 2019, the president's latest move marks a reversal of U.S. policy on the region's security.