RismadarVoice Reporters, August 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to significantly scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing Seoul’s decision not to join the US war in Iran and his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump announced the decision on Sunday, saying the annual military drills with South Korea send an unnecessarily hostile message to North Korea.
He said he had instructed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” the joint exercises, which were scheduled to begin Monday.
Trump argued that the drills were inappropriate given what he described as his positive relationship with Kim, saying North Korea had remained respectful and non-threatening during his presidency.
The US president also referred to South Korea’s decision not to participate in the conflict in Iran.
Trump said he had recently asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung whether Seoul would join the US effort to denuclearise Iran, but that the South Korean leader declined.
It was initially unclear what changes would be made to the exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, particularly because the drills were due to begin only hours after Trump’s announcement.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry, however, said on Monday that the exercises would proceed as scheduled and remain in place until August 27.
Lee’s office also said Washington and Seoul had maintained close coordination over joint military training and would continue to do so.
The South Korean president, like Trump, has expressed support for renewed dialogue with North Korea, which remains technically at war with South Korea because the 1953 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
Lee’s administration said it hoped the relationship between Trump and Kim could help facilitate meaningful US-North Korea talks aimed at improving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Seoul also said it had participated actively in international diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Iran and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to US Forces Korea, the annual exercises are designed to strengthen the combined defence capabilities of the US and South Korea and improve their ability to respond to a range of security threats.
North Korea has consistently condemned the drills, describing them as preparations for war, while Washington and Seoul maintain that they are defensive in nature.
Trump’s announcement came days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea in an apparent protest against the planned exercises.
The development also followed the withdrawal of the USS George Washington from Asia to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf, amid heightened US military involvement in the Middle East.
The US and South Korean military authorities had yet to provide detailed information on how Trump’s order would affect the scope of the exercises.
