US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back what he described as “inappropriate and hostile” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump issued the directive on Monday, hours before the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were scheduled to begin, arguing that the drills were costly and sent an unnecessarily hostile signal to Pyongyang.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was unhappy that the United States had continued participating in the long-standing military exercises with South Korea.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote.
He described the exercises as costly, with a significant portion of the expenses borne by the United States, and argued that they were inappropriate toward North Korea.
“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful,” he said.
Trump said it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely but that he had directed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” their scale.
Despite Trump’s directive, South Korea’s defence ministry said the exercises began as previously scheduled.
The US-South Korean Combined Forces Command said the drills were designed to prepare the two allies for a potential conflict with North Korea.
The exercises involve about 18,000 South Korean troops alongside US forces and are expected to focus heavily on drone warfare, GPS disruption and cyberattacks.
Colonel Ryan Donald, spokesman for the Combined Forces Command, said the drills would also simulate combat against North Korean forces, including troops that have reportedly gained battlefield experience through their involvement alongside Russia in the war in Ukraine.
South Korean officials said they remained in close coordination with Washington over the exercises.
Seoul’s presidential office also expressed hope that Trump’s relationship with Kim could eventually lead to renewed negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.
“The office hopes that the friendly relationship between the leaders of the United States and North Korea will lead to meaningful dialogue,” it said.
North Korea has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest comments, but Pyongyang has consistently condemned the annual US-South Korean military exercises as rehearsals for an invasion.
The North recently test-fired a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan and warned that it could respond to the military exercises with what it described as a “new level of deterrent.”
The United States maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of its longstanding defence commitment to Seoul, dating back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
Trump’s latest criticism of the exercises has raised fresh concerns among US allies in East Asia over Washington’s long-term security commitments to the region.
China’s foreign ministry said Monday that it had taken note of reports concerning Trump’s position.
“Maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and promoting the political settlement of the peninsular issue are in the common interests of all parties,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
The development also comes amid growing regional security concerns, particularly over North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile capabilities and its increasingly close relationship with Russia and China.
Taiwan, which relies heavily on its longstanding security relationship with the United States, has also moved to strengthen its defence capabilities. President Lai Ching-te said his government would propose record defence spending of more than $35 billion for 2027.
Meanwhile, analysts have questioned whether reducing the US-South Korean exercises would produce meaningful concessions from Pyongyang.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, warned that downsizing the exercises could damage alliance coordination, slow South Korea’s efforts to assume greater responsibility for its own defence and weaken deterrence against potential conflicts in Asia.
North Korea expert Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University said Pyongyang was unlikely to attach much significance to Trump’s announcement unless the exercises were cancelled entirely.
“The North will only view it as meaningful if the joint exercises are cancelled in their entirety rather than scaled back,” he said.
North Korea has significantly expanded its nuclear and missile capabilities since negotiations between Trump and Kim broke down, with the two leaders last meeting in person in 2019.
The issue has also become increasingly linked to the war in Ukraine. Kyiv has claimed that thousands of North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia, although it has not provided evidence or a clear timeframe for the alleged deployment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also urged South Korea to provide air defence systems to help protect against Russian missile attacks, although Seoul has yet to grant the request.
The latest development highlights the delicate balance facing Washington and Seoul as they seek to maintain military readiness against North Korea while exploring the possibility of renewed diplomatic engagement between Trump and Kim.