South Korea admits Trump blindsided Seoul by cutting military drills

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun revealed on Wednesday that Seoul had no prior knowledge of Donald Trump's decision to reduce military exercises with the United States. The U.S. president's announcement, made public through his social media platform Truth Social, sparked surprise among Seoul's officials. Cho stated, "We were not notified in advance."

Trump's order, directed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, aimed to "substantially reduce" the annual joint military drills, which he deemed "costly and totally inappropriate and hostile" towards North Korea. He connected the move to Seoul's reluctance to assist in his campaign against Iran's nuclear program, emphasizing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Cho acknowledged the shock but noted that joint consultations involving Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back were ongoing. He insisted that the smaller drills should not impede the transfer of wartime operational control, known as OPCON, to Seoul, a longstanding arrangement during conflicts. The drills, integral to the U.S.-South Korean alliance for over seven decades, began after the Korean War, which concluded in 1953 with an armistice but no peace treaty.

North Korea, which regularly denounces the drills as preparations for invasion, conducted additional ballistic missile tests following the scheduled start of this year's exercises. As a result, South Korea announced on Wednesday that this year's drills would conclude on August 21 instead of the originally planned August 27, a six-day reduction following a request from the U.S.