Trump Cuts US-South Korea Drills Without Consulting Seoul
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- Trump ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" US participation in the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises that began Monday, citing cost and claiming North Korea has been "unthreatening and respectful" to his presidency.
- Trump made the decision without consulting South Korea, per The Associated Press, and said it was partly driven by Seoul's refusal to assist in the "denuclearization" of Iran.
- The pullback came as North Korea threatened Friday a "new level" of nuclear deterrence in response to the drills and has deepened its military alliance with Russia, constitutionally designating Seoul as its principal enemy.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his government would continue "close coordination" with the US on combined defense and called for South Korea to "build up" its own forces.
- Cornell's David Silbey said the move is likely inevitable because the US Navy is already redirecting Pacific forces to the Middle East for the Iran war, calling it part of "continuing neglect of American allies."
- Senator Jack Reed (D) called the decision "another inane, haphazard decision" that hands Kim Jong Un a "propaganda victory," while Senator Thom Tillis (R) warned it could free more North Korean troops to fight in Ukraine.
- Ewha Womans University's Leif-Eric Easley said the cost savings from downsizing drills are "marginal" while the diplomatic benefits for relations with Pyongyang are "doubtful," and that scaling back "can damage alliance coordination" and weaken deterrence across Asia.
Why it matters: Trump unilaterally cut joint defense drills with South Korea while the US Navy is already diverting Pacific forces to the Iran war, per Cornell's Silbey. Senator Tillis warned the pullback enables Pyongyang to redeploy more troops to the Ukraine front, compounding the strategic cost to an already stretched US force posture in the Pacific.
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