Trump orders cuts to South Korea joint drills despite warnings of North’s growing battlefield experience
President says move is based on ‘very good relationship with Kim Jong-un’ but US military officials have said Ukraine war is boosting regime’s combat capabilities Donald Trump has said he is scaling back joint US military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North Korea, despite military officials from both countries warning that Kim Jong-un’s regime was learning new battlefield tactics…
President Donald Trump has announced a reduction in joint US-South Korea military drills, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, which commence on Monday and continue until August 27. The decision came despite warnings from US military officials that North Korea's combat capabilities are increasing, thanks to lessons learned during the Ukraine war.
The drills, typically involving 18,000 South Korean troops and personnel from 11 UN Command member states, were anticipated to incorporate new threats such as drone warfare and cyber attacks, which were attributed to North Korean soldiers' experience in Ukraine. Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the drills, citing his "very good relationship with Kim Jong-un" and claiming that the exercises send a hostile message to North Korea, who has been unthreatening under his presidency.
He also noted South Korea's refusal to contribute to Iran's denuclearization efforts. North Korea's foreign ministry condemned the drills as a rehearsal for an aggressive war, warning of a potential response with a "new level of a deterrent."
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