Trump Cuts S. Korea Drills Over Seoul's Iran War Refusal
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- Trump ordered a 'substantial reduction' in joint US-South Korea military exercises via social media post just before the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills began Monday (August 18, 2026), citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the US war against Iran.
- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stressed the alliance in a Cabinet meeting, saying 'national security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid,' after his office had earlier expressed hopes that a 'friendly relationship' between Trump and Kim could promote peace on the peninsula.
- The move was taken without consulting South Korea, deepening concerns about alliance reliability already eroded by Trump's tariff war and last year's Georgia immigration raid that detained hundreds of South Korean workers, per the source.
- North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused the US and South Korea of plotting 'more provocative drills' this year and vowed to respond with 'a new level of a deterrent,' while experts cited in the source say Kim is unlikely to embrace Trump's overture without major US concessions.
- A JoongAng Ilbo/East Asia Institute survey found 46.4% of South Koreans now view the US as 'not a trustworthy partner' versus 45.4% 'trustworthy' — the first time distrust exceeded trust since the question was first asked in 2017.
- Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea would join the US in the 'denuclearisation' of Iran, and 'they said, No thanks!' — though Seoul says it is in close discussions on practical military contributions to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: Trump's unilateral decision — taken without consulting Seoul and justified by South Korea's refusal to join the Iran war — has pushed distrust of the US to a record 46.4% among South Koreans, accelerating Seoul's push for self-reliance and straining the nuclear umbrella that protects a non-nuclear ally from a nuclear-armed North Korea.
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