Trump says US to reduce military drills with South Korea after it stayed out of Iran war

President Donald Trump announced that the United States would "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump also noted that South Korea had declined to participate in the "denuclearisation" of Iran. The joint exercises, which are costly and conducted primarily at the expense of the United States, are deemed inappropriate and hostile by Trump.

Seoul confirmed it was reviewing Trump's comments and hoped that improving relations between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks. Pyongyang had not yet commented on the matter. South Korea stated that the drills would proceed as scheduled, following North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests banned by the United Nations.

Trump's announcement came less than 24 hours after he shared an old photograph of himself with Kim, describing them as "great friends." Experts suggest that reducing joint military exercises could have a high cost with limited benefit, potentially damaging alliance coordination and South Korea's capacity for self-defense. US and South Korean military leaders recently held a joint press conference to announce Ulchi Freedom Shield, stating that the 11-day event would be similar in scale to previous years, with approximately 18,000 South Korean soldiers participating.