Washington, Aug. 17 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he had ordered a significant reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and what he described as the hostile message they send to North Korea.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he was dissatisfied with Washington’s longstanding participation in the exercises, arguing that the United States bears a large share of their cost.
He also said the drills sent an “inappropriate and hostile” message toward North Korea, pointing to what he described as his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump said it was too late to cancel the exercises scheduled to begin Monday and that he had therefore instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to significantly scale them back.
In the same post, Trump said South Korea had declined an invitation to join U.S. military operations aimed at denuclearizing Iran, although he acknowledged the issue was largely unrelated to the military exercises.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are scheduled to run from Aug. 17 to 27, with about 18,000 South Korean military personnel expected to participate.
The drills are set to include responses to drones, GPS signal disruption and cyberattacks as the allies adapt their training to North Korea’s evolving capabilities.
R.A/ABD
