Trump orders scaled-back US-South Korea military drills despite warnings on North Korea's growing combat experience
Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in US participation in annual joint drills with South Korea, citing his relationship with Kim Jong-un, even as military officials warn North Korea is gaining battlefield lessons from the Ukraine war.
US President Donald Trump has announced he is cutting back US military involvement in the annual joint exercises with South Korea designed to deter North Korea, despite warnings from officials in both countries that Kim Jong-un's regime is absorbing new combat lessons from the war in Ukraine.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises begin Monday and run through 27 August, expected to involve roughly 18,000 South Korean troops alongside US forces and personnel from 11 of the 18 member states of the United Nations Command, which oversees the 1953 armistice.
On Sunday evening, Trump said he was unhappy with the drills, pointing to his relationship with Kim Jong-un and describing the exercises as costly and sending an inappropriate, hostile signal to a country he called unthreatening during his presidency. He said it was too late to cancel them outright, so he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce them. Trump also claimed South Korea had refused to assist with denuclearisation efforts regarding Iran.
On Saturday, Trump posted an old photo of himself with Kim Jong-un on Truth Social, repeating claims the two get along well, fuelling speculation about a possible renewed summit push.
Last week, South Korean and US officials said this year's drills would incorporate lessons from North Korean troops' battlefield experience in Ukraine, including new drone tactics. North Korea has deepened military cooperation with Russia since signing a strategic partnership in June 2024, supplying troops, artillery shells and ballistic missiles to support Moscow's war effort.
Colonel Ryan Donald of the US-led commands said this year's training scenario reflects threats from drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks, directly tied to lessons North Korean soldiers brought home from fighting in Ukraine. Lieutenant General Scott Winter, deputy commander of the UN Command, said North Korea has used the war as an opportunity to test ballistic missile systems, adding this year's exercise would be bigger than ever.
South Korea's defence ministry said the drills would proceed as previously scheduled despite Trump's comments. More than 14,000 North Korean troops have fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russia is preparing to receive 30,000 more. North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles ahead of the drills and called the exercise a rehearsal for aggressive war.
