The United States has canceled a joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea scheduled for next month, citing a lack of available forces due to the war in Iran. A spokesperson for the South Korean Marine Corps announced the decision on Monday, stating that the U.S. Marine Corps had formally notified them of the force constraints in June.
The division-level exercise, known as Ssangyong, is a recurring combined military drill between the U.S. and South Korean navies and marine corps. While the upcoming session has been called off, South Korean officials stated that the two allies remain in consultations regarding the resumption of future drills. No specific measures were provided regarding how lost training opportunities would be addressed.
The cancellation follows a recent scale-back of a different annual joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, which concluded last Friday. President Donald Trump ordered the reduction of that exercise, citing both the financial cost and South Korea's decision not to participate in the war in Iran. Following that reduction, North Korea launched 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement condemning the joint military activities.
The shift in military cooperation is tied to broader regional conflicts and financial considerations. With U.S. forces redirected toward the war in Iran, the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing concrete changes in operational readiness and training schedules. This follows President Trump's stated position that South Korea should share more of the burden for regional defense, particularly as he cited Seoul's refusal to participate in the Iran war as a reason for scaling back other drills.
The long-term impact involves the diplomatic and security relationship between Washington, Seoul, and Pyongyang. While the U.S. State Department reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke on Monday about maintaining close coordination, the reduction in exercises has not halted military actions from North Korea. The next steps involve ongoing consultations between U.S. and South Korean military leaders to determine if or when the Ssangyong exercise will be rescheduled. No specific dates for future drills have been confirmed.