{
  "id": 1471469,
  "title": "Trump cuts US-South Korea military drills citing ‘good relationship with Kim Jong-un’ | First Thing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-cuts-us-south-korea-military-drills-citing-good-relationship",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T11:04:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/17/first-thing-trump-cuts-us-south-korea-military-drills-relationship-kim-jong-un"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Donald Trump has decided to reduce US military drills with South Korea, citing his \"very good relationship\" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Despite warnings from military officials that Kim's regime is learning new battlefield tactics from the Ukraine war, the president expressed dissatisfaction with the joint exercises, which he deemed \"inappropriate and hostile\". The drills are costly and send a hostile signal to a country that has been unthreatening and respectful during Trump's presidency, according to the US leader. As it was too late to cancel the drills, Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce them. Concerns over the USS Abraham Lincoln persist, with Democrats blaming its prolonged deployment on unresolved issues such as the Iran war and lackluster leadership from the Trump administration.",
  "summary": "President said he was ‘not happy’ with plans for large-scale joint exercises he described as ‘inappropriate and hostile’. Plus, how five obscure horses have ended up at the center of a transatlantic betting mystery Good morning. 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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 12,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "KBS World Radio",
        "title": "Trump Orders Pentagon to 'Substantially Reduce' S. Korea-US Joint Military Exercises",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-substantially-reduce-s-korea-us-joint",
        "published": "2026-08-17T04:32:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military exercises with South Korea, citing costs and lack of help with Iran",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-cut-back-military-exercises-with-south-korea",
        "published": "2026-08-17T04:42:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Fake Iran nuke claim from Indian X account jolted Netanyahu and Team Trump. Here’s how",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/fake-iran-nuke-claim-from-indian-x-account-jolted-netanyahu-and-team",
        "published": "2026-08-17T05:53:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military exercises with South Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-cut-back-military-exercises-with-south-korea-1439820",
        "published": "2026-08-17T06:31:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Jakarta Post",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military exercises with South Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-cut-back-military-exercises-with-south-korea-1452129",
        "published": "2026-08-17T08:51:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Trump cuts military drills with South Korea citing ‘very good relationship’ with Kim Jong-un – US politics live",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-cuts-military-drills-with-south-korea-citing-very-good",
        "published": "2026-08-17T10:03:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Hours before start, Trump orders ‘substantial’ reduction of military drills with South Korea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/hours-before-start-trump-orders-substantial-reduction-of-military",
        "published": "2026-08-17T10:33:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military drills with Seoul hours before start",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-orders-pentagon-to-cut-back-military-drills-with-seoul-hours",
        "published": "2026-08-17T10:56:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Heavy rains kill 1 in South Korea and flood major streets in Philippines",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/heavy-rains-kill-1-in-south-korea-and-flood-major-streets-in-1474049",
        "published": "2026-08-17T11:05:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Heavy rains kill 1 in South Korea and flood major streets in Philippines",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/heavy-rains-kill-1-in-south-korea-and-flood-major-streets-in",
        "published": "2026-08-17T11:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Trump scales down war games with South Korea: Why it matters",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/trump-scales-down-war-games-with-south-korea-why-it-matters",
        "published": "2026-08-17T12:20:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}