South Korea · Donald Trump · Pentagon · Iran · NBC News Tech
Trump orders military to ‘substantially reduce’ joint exercises with South Korea
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President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has directed the Defense Department to scale down joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Key facts
- The command was set to carry out the Ulchi Freedom Shield training Monday, which would include 18,000 South Korean soldiers, the South Korean military told The Associated Press
- It also comes a day after the U.S. pulled its last aircraft carrier in Asia, as the USS George Washington was sent to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln — which has drawn scrutiny over conditions
- President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has directed the Defense Department to scale down joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s refusal to join the war in Iran
- Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote
Summary
Trump said the large, annual military drills sent a “signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, a country with which the U.S. has no formal diplomatic ties but which Trump says has been “unthreatening and respectful” as long as he has been president. “Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote. “While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump wrote.