US President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, reviving a longstanding dispute over the cost and strategic value of drills that have been central to the two countries’ defence alliance for decades.
Trump announced the move shortly before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were scheduled to begin. He cited the expense of the drills and criticised Seoul for declining to join US-led efforts involving Iran. Trump also argued that large-scale exercises send an unnecessarily hostile signal to North Korea, while highlighting his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Despite Trump’s announcement, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that Ulchi Freedom Shield began on August 17 as scheduled. The exercises are due to continue until August 27 and involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops, a level similar to previous years. Seoul said it was reviewing Trump’s comments while continuing coordination with Washington on the alliance’s combined defence posture.
This year’s exercises include preparations for emerging security threats such as drone attacks, GPS disruption and cyber operations. Washington and Seoul describe the drills as defensive and focused on maintaining readiness against potential threats on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea sees them differently. Pyongyang has repeatedly characterised US-South Korean exercises as preparations for an invasion and recently condemned this year’s drills as provocative. North Korea has also warned that it intends to further strengthen its nuclear deterrent.
Trump’s position is not unprecedented. During his first presidency, he suspended major exercises following his 2018 summit with Kim in Singapore, describing the drills as expensive and provocative. The exercises were later restored after diplomatic efforts failed to produce significant progress on North Korea’s nuclear programme.
The latest decision also introduces the Iran conflict into Washington’s relationship with Seoul. Trump said he had asked South Korea to participate in efforts involving Iran but was turned down. South Korea responded that potential military contributions were still being discussed while taking into account its defence requirements on the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures.
The extent of the ordered reduction remains unclear. The Pentagon has not publicly detailed which exercises, personnel or components could be scaled back.
Any significant reduction could affect military readiness and alliance planning while potentially creating an opening for renewed diplomacy with Pyongyang. For now, however, the current Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise is proceeding, even as Washington considers how substantially future joint training should be reduced.
