United States President Donald J. Trump has directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the scale of joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and describing the exercises as costly and inappropriate.
Trump made the announcement in a statement posted on his official social media account, where he said the United States had long ago agreed to participate in the military exercises with South Korea.
The US president said he was “not happy” with the decision to participate in the exercises, arguing that they send what he described as an inappropriate and hostile signal to North 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 said.
He argued that the exercises impose significant financial costs on the United States, while also potentially undermining his administration’s relationship with Pyongyang.
“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.
According to Trump, the exercises had already reached a stage where they could not be cancelled entirely. He therefore said he had instructed Hegseth to substantially scale them down.
“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump said.
Trump and Kim have previously engaged in high-level diplomacy, with Trump repeatedly presenting his relationship with the North Korean leader as an important channel for reducing tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
In his latest statement, Trump also introduced a separate issue involving South Korea and the United States’ efforts concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
He disclosed that he recently asked the President of South Korea whether the country would be interested in joining the United States in efforts aimed at the denuclearisation of Iran.
“While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump said.
Trump did not provide further details on the conversation or explain the circumstances surrounding South Korea’s response.
Trump’s directive to reduce the joint exercises could have implications for the longstanding US-South Korea military partnership, which has traditionally involved joint training intended to maintain operational readiness and strengthen the two countries’ ability to respond to potential threats on the Korean Peninsula.
However, Trump framed his decision primarily around the cost of the exercises, their perceived message to North Korea and his stated belief that Pyongyang has remained “unthreatening and respectful” during his presidency.
In March, the North Korea fired more than 10 ballistic missiles into the sea, with some launches also directed toward South Korea.
South Korea’s military confirmed the development, which analysts interpreted as a direct response to ongoing joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, as well as renewed diplomatic overtures from Washington.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were launched from an area near Pyongyang at about 1:20 p.m. (0430 GMT), heading toward waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.
For more than two decades, North Korea has conducted test launches of various ballistic and cruise missiles as part of efforts to develop nuclear delivery capabilities, which it is believed to have successfully achieved.
Despite multiple United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed since 2006, Pyongyang “remains defiant, despite severe obstacles they created to its trade, economy and defence.”
The missile tests coincided with the commencement of annual joint military drills in South Korea. While the United States and its ally describe the exercises as purely defensive and aimed at improving readiness against potential threats, North Korea has consistently condemned them as provocative.
During the drills, hundreds of U.S. and South Korean troops carried out river-crossing exercises involving tanks and armoured combat vehicles under the supervision of their combined forces commander. The United States currently maintains about 28,500 troops, along with fighter jet squadrons, stationed in South Korea.
North Korea has repeatedly criticised such exercises, describing them as “dress rehearsals” for armed aggression by the allies.