In a fresh twist to his foreign policy, Donald Trump on Sunday ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to cut back 'substantially' on the joint military exercises that the United States conducts with South Korea. The announcement, made via his Truth Social platform, comes just as the Ulchi Freedom Shield maneuvers were set to begin—they started on Monday, August 17 and run through August 27.
Trump justified the move by arguing that these drills 'send a totally inappropriate and hostile signal to a country that, since Donald J. Trump has been president, has not been threatening and has shown respect'—referring to North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un. He also criticized the financial burden on Washington: 'These exercises are not only costly, and a large part of those costs are paid by the United States of America (as usual!).'
Seoul's Rejection of Iran Cooperation
In the same message, Trump revealed that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung recently turned down a proposal to join U.S. efforts toward the denuclearization of Iran. '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 he said: No, thank you!' wrote the president, showing his frustration with a traditional ally.
This episode adds to Trump's criticism of other allies like Japan, France, and the UK for their reluctance to get involved in the conflict with Iran, which erupted on February 28, 2026 following an Israeli strike backed by the United States.
South Korea Sticks to the Schedule
Despite Trump's announcement, the South Korean Ministry of Defense confirmed that the exercises will go ahead as planned. 'We will proceed according to what was previously notified and scheduled,' a spokesperson said, adding that the Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 drills will take place from August 17 to 27 with the aim of 'consolidating the joint defense posture.'
These defensive exercises involve about 18,000 South Korean soldiers and members of the U.S. contingent, which has approximately 28,500 troops permanently stationed in South Korea. They include computer-simulated command post drills and live-fire maneuvers, preparing both forces to respond to a potential attack from Pyongyang.
North Korea's Response
Kim Jong-un's regime has historically criticized these operations, calling them invasion rehearsals. Last week, North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan—the second test in a few days—in protest against the drills. A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned: 'It is our constant principle to ensure security by responding to a new level of threat with a new level of deterrence.'
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung used his Liberation Day speech to propose direct negotiations with Pyongyang to end the conflict and address North Korea's nuclear program. So far, there has been no public response from the regime.
A Precedent in Trump-Kim Relations
The decision to reduce exercises is not new: Trump completely suspended the drills in 2018 during denuclearization talks with Kim, and they were scaled back again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump became the first U.S. president to step onto North Korean soil when he visited the demilitarized zone in 2019.
As the military alliance between Washington and Seoul faces one of its most delicate moments, with an ally insisting on keeping its schedule and a U.S. president seeking to redefine commitments in East Asia, the situation on the Korean Peninsula remains a powder keg. North Korea's nuclear threat continues to evolve, and its troops have gained combat experience in Ukraine.