Trump orders Pentagon to scale back military drills with South Korea

US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing concerns that the drills send an inappropriate signal to North Korea.

Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, stating that the exercises are costly and "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea. He noted that North Korea "has been unthreatening and respectful" during his time as president.

The order comes as the US and South Korea are scheduled to begin one of their two main annual large-scale joint military exercises this week. Trump said that because it is too late to cancel the drills entirely, he has instructed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce their scope.

Trump emphasized his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his statement. He expressed dissatisfaction that the US agreed long ago to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea, describing the arrangement as costly, with much of the expense borne by the United States.

In his post, Trump also referenced South Korea's position on a separate matter, noting that the country declined to assist the US in denuclearizing Iran. He characterized this as "somewhat unrelated" to his decision on the military drills.

South Korea has been a major US ally, with their relationship spanning more than seven decades through various political changes. The two countries have conducted regular joint military exercises as part of their defense partnership.

The announcement marks a significant shift in US military posture on the Korean Peninsula, where tensions have periodically escalated. The scheduled exercises were set to begin Monday following Trump's Sunday announcement.