Trump tells Hegseth to cut back U.S.-South Korea drills
President Trump said Sunday he instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" U.S. military exercises with South Korea. The big picture: Trump cited his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for condemning the drills — and also noted on Truth Social that South Korea declined his request to help the U.S. denuclearize Iran . What he's saying: "These…
President Trump has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce U.S. military exercises with South Korea, citing his strong relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that these drills are not only expensive, with the majority of costs covered by the United States, but also send a hostile and inappropriate message.
The U.S. and South Korean militaries were scheduled to begin the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which have been held annually since 2022. However, the drills were met with North Korea's recent ballistic missile test, which experts view as a response to the exercises. Both the U.S., Japan, and South Korea strongly condemned the missile launch.
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