{
  "id": 1425170,
  "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-scale-back-joint-exercises-with-south-korea-1425170",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T05:21:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NPR",
    "slug": "npr",
    "url": "https://www.npr.org/2026/08/17/g-s1-138969/trump-exercises-south-korea"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the scale of joint military exercises with South Korea. The exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, were scheduled to run from August 17 to 27 and involve about 18,000 South Korean military personnel.\n\nAccording to Trump, the decision was made due to the cost of the drills and South Korea's refusal to participate in actions against Iran. He also cited his \"very good relationship\" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.\n\nThe exercises started as scheduled, but South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to comment on Trump's comments. The country's presidential office and defence and foreign ministries did not immediately respond on a public holiday in Seoul.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-scale-back-joint-exercises-with-south-korea",
        "published": "2026-08-17T00:30:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "PM Shehbaz praises Trump support for Makkah Joint defence pact",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/pm-shehbaz-praises-trump-support-for-makkah-joint-defence-pact",
        "published": "2026-08-17T07:17:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Trump seeks to scale back joint drills in bid to lure Kim back to talks, experts say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-seeks-to-scale-back-joint-drills-in-bid-to-lure-kim-back-to",
        "published": "2026-08-17T07:47:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}