Order targets joint exercises
President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to reduce the scale of military drills with South Korea. The decision affects long-planned joint exercises that have been a cornerstone of the alliance for decades. White House officials said the move reflects the president's 'very good relationship' with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un.
The order came after South Korea stayed out of the US military action against Iran earlier this year. Officials familiar with the decision said the president wanted to send a message to Seoul about burden-sharing and alliance commitments.
Lawmakers push back
The decision drew immediate criticism from both parties in Washington. Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, called it 'another inane, haphazard decision' that could embolden Pyongyang. Other lawmakers warned that reducing deterrence on the Korean Peninsula puts American troops and regional allies at greater risk.
South Korean officials have asked for more details about which exercises will be cut and when. The allies currently hold dozens of training events each year, from small unit drills to large-scale maneuvers involving tens of thousands of troops.
What happens next
Pentagon planners are now reviewing which exercises will be trimmed. Defense officials said basic readiness training will continue, but large combined maneuvers could be reduced or postponed. Analysts say the change could take months to implement and may be reversed by a future administration.
The move is the latest shift in a volatile relationship. Trump has long complained about the cost of stationing US troops in South Korea, and he has met Kim Jong Un several times. North Korea has not yet commented on the reduced drills, but state media often frames such exercises as preparation for invasion.