Donald Trump called for scaling back military exercises with South Korea to preserve ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
The declaration is as late as it is surprising. While joint military exercises with historic ally South Korea were about to begin, American President Donald Trump announced on Sunday August 16 that he had asked to reduce the scale of these maneuvers due to his “very good relationship with Kim Jong-un”the leader of North Korea.
The Republican denounces, on his Truth Social platform, exercises “not only expensive” and who according to him “send a totally inappropriate and hostile signal” towards North Korea. A country which, “since Donald Trump became president, has been non-threatening and respectful”he added in the third person.
“Because it is too late to cancel them, I have instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the scale of these joint military exercises,” Mr. Trump wrote.
For its part, the South Korean Ministry of Defense affirmed, after the American announcement, that the annual military exercises had begun “as planned”Monday.
Called “Ulchi Freedom Shield”, these annual maneuvers are to take place over eleven days and mobilize 18,000 South Korean soldiers as well as personnel from the American contingent of 28,500 men stationed in the country. A regular summer event for the South Korean armed forces and their American allies, these exercises are designed to prepare them for defense against North Korea, which also has nuclear weapons.
South Korean refusal to engage in Iran
On his platform, Donald Trump also mentioned Seoul’s non-participation in American military operations against Iran. “Although it’s not really related(?), I recently asked the president of South Korea if they would join us in denuclearizing the Islamic Republic of Iran and they said ‘No thanks!’ »wrote the American president.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said in June, during a lull in the conflict between the United States and Iran, that Donald Trump now wanted to focus on resolving “the North Korean question”.
Considered conciliatory towards North Korea, Lee Jae-myung has taken the opposite view from his predecessor, known for his firmness, since coming to power in June 2025, offering Pyongyang talks without preconditions. But the North Korean authorities have so far not responded to these repeated offers.
Donald Trump’s announcement is part of the long list of snubs addressed by the American president to historic allies of the United States since his return to the White House in 2025. This is not the first time that the Republican has sought to end these exercises with Seoul. During his first mandate, he also made a surprise announcement describing these military maneuvers as “provocative”, after his meeting with Kim Jong-un in Singapore in 2018.
On Saturday, the American president published, on Truth Social, an image showing him alongside the North Korean leader during another historic meeting, in June 2019, in a demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. “Despite the unfriendly appearance in this particular photo, there are plenty of us smiling”he wrote as a caption, adding: “Kim Jong-un and I get along VERY WELL!” »
Possible response from Pyongyang
Pyongyang denounced, on Thursday, the upcoming joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul, and warned of a possible response with measures “deterrence” stronger. North Korea sees these exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion and on Wednesday fired a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan in protest.
“Our constant principle, to guarantee security, is to respond to a new level of threat with a new level of deterrence”a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
North Korea is playing an increasingly active role in international conflicts, including supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. On Sunday, North Korean state media noted that Kim Jong-un had said ” proud “ of its relationship with Russia in a letter sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
