Trump orders military to reduce joint exercises with South Korea

The president said he has directed the Pentagon to scale down the exercises, citing South Korea’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has directed the Defense Department to scale down joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the U.S. ally’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Trump said the large, annual military drills sent a “signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, a nuclear-armed state with which the U.S. has no formal diplomatic ties but which Trump says has been “unthreatening and respectful” as long as he has been president.

“Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote on social media. His announcement came just hours before the drills were set to start.

Kim Jong Un rides a tank driven by his teenage daughter

Trump also mentioned South Korea’s refusal to join the Iran war.