The US and South Korea ended the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise six days early after Donald Trump ordered a sharp reduction in the drills, raising fresh questions over Washington’s security commitment to Seoul as Trump seeks to revive engagement with Kim Jong Un
The US and South Korea scaled back their annual military exercise to an early close on Friday, with the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills ending after only half of the planned programme. The decision came days after US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the exercise, calling it “inappropriate and hostile” towards North Korea and too costly for the US.
The decision caught South Korea off guard and has also raised concerns in Taiwan and Japan, both of which have long relied on US security commitments in the region.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun sought to present the decision as a mutual agreement but acknowledged that Seoul had not known in advance that Trump intended to scale back the exercise.
Why the drills matter to Seoul
Ulchi Freedom Shield involves 18,000 South Korean troops and 11 other American ally nations. Seoul regards the annual exercise as a central part of its alliance with Washington and a demonstration of the US commitment to defend South Korea against Pyongyang.
South Korea has previously supported reducing or suspending the drills as a way of encouraging dialogue with North Korea. However, Trump’s sudden decision to end the exercise early has shaken confidence in the US alliance, according to Jo Bee-yun, a senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council, cited by BBC.
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The concern extends beyond the exercises. There are fears Trump could eventually reduce the roughly 27,000 US troops stationed in South Korea or abandon the longstanding policy of denuclearising North Korea, without consulting Seoul.
Security and trade increasingly intertwined
The two Koreas remain technically at war because they never signed a peace treaty after the Korean War. Reunification with South Korea was once central to North Korea’s ideology, although Kim Jong Un abandoned that position in 2024.
North Korea has nevertheless continued to threaten the South. Days before the latest military exercise, Pyongyang launched ballistic missiles towards Japan and reiterated that it had the right to use nuclear weapons if it faced a threat. It launched more missiles on Thursday.
For Seoul, another concern is the Trump administration’s growing tendency to link security and trade.
Trump has criticised South Korea for refusing to join war against Iran, while his administration has also raised concerns about the country’s trade relationship with the US. Washington has complained that Seoul’s $1 billion annual contribution towards hosting US troops is insufficient, that it has been slow to invest the $350 billion it pledged and that it discriminates against US companies operating in the country.
With trade disputes increasingly spilling into security discussions, some South Koreans have called for the country to reduce its dependence on Washington.
Calls grow for South Korea to strengthen deterrence
Cheong Seong-chang, vice-president at the Sejong Institute think-tank and an advocate of South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons, told BBC that Seoul should retain its alliance with Washington but also “take steps to acquire its own nuclear deterrence”.
Most South Koreans support the country developing nuclear weapons, while the government has argued that doing so would be unnecessary and could damage its alliances. That position could change if the US reduces its presence in Asia.
For now, however, Seoul has sought to make the most of Trump’s decision.
President Lee Jae Myung, who has sought to improve ties with North Korea, praised Trump on X.
“I believe [your social media post] was a bold decision that is the result of your deep consideration to achieve peace,” he wrote.
Lee also pledged to increase South Korea’s defence spending and said he “fully agrees” with Trump’s view that the country should take responsibility for its own security.
Trump’s North Korea diplomacy brings mixed results
Since Trump’s first term, Seoul has viewed his unpredictable approach to diplomacy as both a risk and an opportunity. South Korea helped arrange the first meeting between a sitting US president and Kim Jong Un in 2018.
But Trump announced a suspension of joint military exercises with South Korea immediately after that meeting.
The following year, Trump walked away from a second summit without an agreement after Kim refused to give up all his nuclear facilities. Apart from a brief meeting at Panmunjom later in 2019, the two leaders have not held substantive negotiations.
Trump has continued to say he has a “great relationship” with Kim. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said, “He likes me”.
Kim holds stronger hand ahead of possible talks
Kim’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, however, said she was unaware of Trump’s claim that her brother had recently contacted him. She said it “must be the only thing I am unaware of in our foreign policy”.
She also reiterated North Korea’s position that it will not surrender its nuclear weapons, arguing that they strengthen the balance and stability of the region.
Kim Yo Jong said the decision to scale back the US-South Korea drills “doesn’t merit (her country’s) interest nor comment” and does not alter their “hostile and offensive nature”, according to state media.
Trump has said he expects to meet Kim again later this year, but few experts expect another summit, particularly as North Korea deepens its ties with Moscow and strengthens its relationship with China.
Unless Trump is prepared to publicly accept North Korea as a nuclear state, which is a key demand from Pyongyang, there is little incentive for Kim to return to negotiations.
North Korea’s military strength complicates US strategy
The reduction of the drills represents a significant concession to Pyongyang and also to Beijing, which shares North Korea’s view that the exercises threaten its security.
It could also encourage further demands from North Korea at a time when its military position appears stronger.
Despite Trump’s repeated claim that North Korea poses no threat, Pyongyang has continued to develop its military capabilities. It has conducted six nuclear tests and developed long-range missiles capable of reaching the continental US.
North Korea has also joined Russia’s war in Ukraine, supplying what is believed to be billions of dollars’ worth of artillery shells and missiles and sending at least 13,000 troops. Although its forces have suffered thousands of casualties, they have gained experience with drones and absorbed lessons from the Ukraine war.
For South Korea, the stakes remain high. As Jo Bee-yun put it, there is little Seoul can do on its own to defend against North Korea, making its alliance with Washington “a matter of life-and-death”.