Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has directed the Pentagon chief to "substantially" reduce joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump emphasized that these drills are "costly" and convey a "totally inappropriate and hostile" message to North Korea.
According to Nam News Network, Trump's comments were made via a social media post as the United States and South Korea prepare to commence their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which North Korea has frequently criticized as a preparation for war.
Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the United States' long-standing participation in joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He argued that these exercises incur significant costs, primarily borne by the United States, and send a hostile signal to North Korea, a country he described as "unthreatening and respectful" during his presidency.
Acknowledging that it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely, Trump stated that he instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to reduce their scale significantly. Furthermore, Trump shared that he recently inquired if South Korean President Lee Jae Myung would be interested in collaborating to denuclearize Iran, but the offer was declined without further explanation.