Trump says US to scale back military drills with South Korea
Donald Trump has announced the US will significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The regular drills had been due to begin on Monday.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday evening that Washington plans to substantially scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, in a post published on his Truth Social platform.
Trump pointed to what he described as a "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while arguing that the current exercises are costly, with the United States typically covering most of the expense. He also described the drills as sending an inappropriate and hostile signal.
In the same post, Trump noted that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in efforts toward the "denuclearisation" of Iran.
A departure from traditional policy
Trump has long broken with conventional American foreign policy toward North Korea, maintaining personal contact with Kim Jong Un. The two last met in person in 2019.
The US and South Korea had been scheduled to begin their regular joint military exercises on Monday. It remains unclear exactly how much the drills will be reduced or when the changes will take effect, as the story was still developing at the time of reporting.
