US-South Korea Military Drills Face Cuts After Trump Directive

Washington: US President Donald Trump has instructed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea, arguing that the drills are too costly and send a hostile message to North Korea.

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said it was too late to completely cancel the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on Monday.

Despite Trump’s directive, South Korea’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the regular summer military drills would proceed as planned, with around 18,000 South Korean troops taking part.

The annual exercise focuses on responding to modern security threats, including drone warfare, cyberattacks and GPS disruptions, alongside broader military readiness.

North Korea has routinely criticised the US-South Korea exercises, describing them as preparations for an attack or a rehearsal for war.

Trump’s latest directive signals a push to reduce the scale of joint military exercises with South Korea, while Seoul has maintained that the current drills will continue according to the established schedule.

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