Trump’s cut to joint drills with South Korea raises alarm in Seoul

The Big Picture

President Donald Trump’s order to substantially reduce a major annual military exercise with South Korea has unsettled officials and political leaders in Seoul, where the U.S. alliance remains central to deterrence against nuclear-armed North Korea.

Trump announced the decision in a social-media post shortly before the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began. He said the drills were costly and sent an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea, adding that he had a very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The announcement revived long-running questions in South Korea about how dependable Washington’s security commitment is, particularly when decisions affecting the peninsula are made without prior consultation. The United States maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea, which is protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

What Happened

Ulchi Freedom Shield, one of the allies’ principal annual exercises, had been scheduled to run for 11 days through Aug. 27 and was intended to strengthen readiness for North Korean threats.

Trump said it was too late to cancel the exercise completely, but that he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” it. He also tied the decision to what he described as South Korea’s refusal to participate in U.S. efforts concerning Iran, saying Seoul had declined to join the campaign against Iran.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Seoul had received no advance notification. “Neither our government nor US officials knew what President Trump wrote on his Truth Social,” Cho said, according to Al Jazeera.

The practical scale of the reduction was initially unclear. Al Jazeera reported that by Wednesday, the two militaries had agreed to shorten the exercise from 11 days to five and scale back several field-training drills. South Korea’s presidential office said Seoul and Washington would continue to coordinate their combined defense posture and military exercises.

Why It Matters

The exercise comes as U.S. and South Korean officials have warned that North Korea’s military capabilities are changing through its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Before Trump’s announcement, military officials said this year’s drills would incorporate lessons involving drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought to reassure the public that the alliance remained vital. He said a solid U.S.-South Korea alliance underpins national security, while renewing calls for stronger self-reliant defense capabilities.

The conservative opposition People Power Party condemned the reduction as a major security threat. Its representatives warned that South Korea’s security bulwark and the alliance itself were being shaken. Conservative media outlets similarly criticized the manner and substance of the decision.

Some progressive voices have taken a different view, arguing that a reduced exercise schedule could help create conditions for dialogue with Pyongyang, provided deterrence remains intact. But experts cited by the Guardian said North Korea is unlikely to quickly return to negotiations without broader U.S. concessions and may consider a partial drill reduction insufficient.

What Each Side Is Saying

Trump has portrayed the move as both a cost-saving step and an opening to diplomacy. He said North Korea had been “unthreatening and respectful” during his presidency and has publicly emphasized his personal rapport with Kim.

North Korea, however, has not offered an immediate concession. Its Foreign Ministry called the planned drills provocative and said Pyongyang would respond with a “new level of a deterrent,” according to NPR. Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister, said Thursday that North Korea did not consider the reduction meaningful because the exercises were still taking place, CNBC reported.

Lee’s office said South Korea and the United States were discussing practical and military contributions Seoul could make to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. That statement did not clarify whether those discussions addressed the same request Trump said Seoul had rejected.

Background

Trump has curtailed U.S.-South Korean drills before. Following his 2018 summit with Kim, Washington and Seoul suspended that year’s major exercise and scaled back others in an effort to support diplomacy. Some exercises later resumed in modified forms after talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed.

The latest decision arrives at a more complicated moment for the alliance: North Korea has expanded its nuclear arsenal and strengthened ties with Russia, while Seoul is balancing its dependence on the U.S. security guarantee with Lee’s push for greater national defense autonomy.