Washington, August 17: President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has instructed Pentagon officials to significantly reduce the joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. He described these exercises as not only “costly” but also sending entirely inappropriate and hostile signals to North Korea.
According to a report from the Yonhap News Agency, Trump made these remarks in a social media post just as Seoul and Washington prepare to commence their annual “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercise this week, which Pyongyang has long regarded as preparations for war.
Trump expressed his displeasure regarding the joint military exercises, referencing his “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He stated on Truth Social, “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong-un, I am not happy that the United States agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea a long time ago.”
He further added, “These exercises are not only expensive, with most costs borne by the U.S. (as always!), but they also send completely inappropriate and hostile signals to a country that posed no threat during my presidency and always behaved respectfully.”
Trump continued, “Since it is now too late to cancel them, I have directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the joint military exercises!”
He also mentioned, “Although this may not be directly related, I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join our efforts to denuclearize the Islamic Republic of Iran, to which he replied, ‘No, thank you!'”
The annual “Ulchi Freedom Shield” joint military exercise is set to take place from August 17 to 27, involving approximately 18,000 South Korean soldiers. Officials indicated last week that the exercises are expected to include operations to counter North Korea’s growing capabilities, such as drone combat, GPS signal jamming, and cyberattack responses.
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