Trump orders reduction of US-South Korea military drills, praises ties with Kim Jong Un
US President Donald Trump has directed the defense secretary to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing strong ties with North Korea.
US President Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, attributing the decision to his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the current arrangement, stating that such drills are both expensive and send a hostile message to North Korea.
Although North Korea was not threatened during Trump's presidency, he argued that the ongoing exercises are not only a financial burden, with the United States bearing a significant share of the costs, but also inappropriate. Trump acknowledged that it was too late to cancel the drills entirely, so he instructed Defense Secretary Mark Esper to significantly reduce the frequency and scale of the joint military exercises.
The United States and South Korea regularly conduct these drills to bolster their military readiness and enhance their ability to cooperate and respond to potential threats.
Written by urgent.news from Ajel English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
