President Donald Trump on Sunday directed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" major joint military exercises with South Korea, citing high costs and a desire to maintain relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement came one day before the scheduled start of the 10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which involve thousands of personnel from both nations. The president stated it was too late to fully cancel the exercises but instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale them back significantly.
The decision follows a period of tension regarding military cooperation in other regions. President Trump reported that he recently asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to assist the United States with the denuclearization of Iran, a request he said South Korea declined. While the president described the reduction of drills as "somewhat unrelated" to the Iran request, he also stated in the Oval Office on Monday that the U.S. cannot protect countries that do not provide reciprocal assistance.
The joint exercises are a central component of the mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and South Korea, intended to deter potential aggression from North Korea. The drills were expected to include 18,000 South Korean soldiers practicing complex scenarios, such as live-fire targeting, wet gap crossings, and the distribution of military equipment. In his Truth Social post, President Trump characterized these "war games" as "expensive and provocative," arguing they send a "hostile" signal to North Korea, which he described as having been "unthreatening and respectful" during his presidency.
On the ground, military personnel will see a change in the scheduled 10-day training curriculum starting immediately. Instead of the planned live-fire exercises and maneuver testing, the scope of these activities will be diminished, though the exact extent of the remaining drills was not detailed by the Pentagon. Critics, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), stated this "hollowing out" will result in forces that are less trained to coordinate during a potential conflict on the peninsula, while Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) argued it could inadvertently assist North Korean interests elsewhere.
The decision sets a precedent for using participation in established regional defense treaties as leverage for cooperation in unrelated geographical conflicts, such as the current U.S. efforts regarding Iran. This move mirrors President Trump’s 2018 decision to suspend drills following a summit with Kim Jong Un. The South Korean presidential office stated on Monday that it is monitoring the situation and hopes for "meaningful dialogue" to follow. The drills were scheduled to run for 10 to 11 days; however, a specific completion date for the scaled-back version has not been reported.