US President Donald Trump said on Aug. 16 ET that he has instructed US defense secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce upcoming Trump South Korea military drills with South Korea. Trump said the decision was based partly on his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump said he was unhappy that the United States had agreed long ago to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea. He described the exercises as costly, saying much of the expense is paid by the United States.
Trump South Korea Military Drills to Be Reduced
Trump said the exercises send a signal he considers “totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. He said North Korea had been unthreatening and respectful for as long as he had been President.
Trump said it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely. As a result, he said he had instructed Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the scale of the joint military exercises.
The announcement came alongside a separate statement from Trump about South Korea and Iran. Trump said he had recently asked the President of South Korea whether the country would like to join the United States in efforts toward the denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
According to Trump, South Korea declined the request, responding, “No thanks!” He described the issue as somewhat unrelated to the military exercises but included it in the same social media statement.
Trump’s announcement therefore links his decision to reduce the upcoming joint exercises to his stated concerns about their cost and the message they send to North Korea, while also noting South Korea’s decision not to join US efforts concerning the denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
