WASHINGTON-SEOUL, August 17. /Dunyo IA/. U.S. President Donald Trump said he intends to significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing Yonhap news agency.

In a post on Truth Social, he noted that South Korea had recently declined to join the United States in the “denuclearization” of Iran. According to Trump, the joint exercises are not only costly, with a significant share of the expenses covered by the United States, “but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile.”

He said it was already too late to cancel the upcoming exercises, as the annual U.S.-South Korea military drills are due to begin today. Seoul had previously said the exercises would proceed as scheduled.

South Korean authorities said they were reviewing Donald Trump’s remarks and expressed hope that good relations between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful dialogue. Pyongyang has not yet commented on the US president’s statement.

The South Korean presidential administration also said Seoul would continue diplomatic consultations with Washington on military cooperation related to the Strait of Hormuz and discuss details of the joint military exercises.

The U.S. and South Korean militaries previously announced the 11-day “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercise. According to military officials, its scale will be similar to previous years, with around 18,000 South Korean troops participating. About 28,500 U.S. military personnel are stationed in South Korea.

Experts warn that reducing the joint exercises could weaken coordination between the two countries’ armed forces and undermine deterrence against a potential conflict in Asia.

The president’s statement came after a series of North Korean missile tests banned by the United Nations. Last week, South Korea, the United States and Japan detected the second North Korean missile launch in several days. Pyongyang has described the joint exercises as a “rehearsal for an aggressive war.”

North Korea has accelerated the development of its nuclear and missile programs in recent years following the breakdown of diplomatic contacts between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in 2019. That same year, Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to visit North Korean territory.

The United States has previously scaled back joint military exercises with South Korea. In 2018, Donald Trump suspended them entirely amid denuclearization talks with Kim Jong Un, calling the drills provocative and saying they could save significant amounts of money. In 2020, the exercises were again scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, the South Korean president proposed that North Korea begin talks on formally ending the war, which technically remains ongoing since the armistice was signed in 1953.

Photo credit: AFP