Trump Defends Scaling Back of South Korea Military Exercise
The Pentagon said about 28,500 U.S. troops are involved as Trump orders a smaller drill and shifts a carrier toward the Middle East.
- On Truth Social, President Trump ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing high costs and his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
- Trump's request for South Korea to assist with Iran, which South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung declined, prompted the order; Trump argued the United States should not bear the financial burden of 39,000 soldiers guarding the region.
- The Pentagon confirmed Monday it is actively working on executing the Commander-in-Chief's directive regarding the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which involves about 28,500 U.S. troops and 18,000 South Korean forces.
- Protesters gathered in Seoul yesterday to oppose the training, while Japan is forging closer ties with South Korea amid growing anxieties about U.S. reliability in the region.
- Trump previously promised to halt exercises in 2018, calling them "provocative" and tremendously expensive. This shift follows last week's deployment of the USS George Washington to the Middle East, reducing regional aircraft carrier coverage.
23 Articles
23 Articles
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporters Kim Hyo-jeong and Kim Cheol-seon = Amid President Donald Trump's order to reduce South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, moves by military authorities to implement this are becoming concrete...
Guest Column: Korean Peninsula: One small step in the right direction
BY TOM KNAPP “President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea,” Matthew Lee and Ben Finley write for the Associated Press, “does not just slight a longtime ally but raises broader concerns about the security interests of the United States in Asia and elsewhere.” Trump’s reason for supposedly, and in unspecified ways, downsizing the annual “Ulchi Freedom Shield” exercise is that South Korea has been insuf…
Donald Trump's decision to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea deepened concerns about the reliability of the United States among Indo-Pacific allies, who were already apprehensive about American rhetoric about Taiwan. Exclusive subject matter for subscribers. To have full access, access the link of the subject and register.
'Why should US protect you from Kim?': Trump defends S Korea military drill cuts over Iran war rift
US President Donald Trump has criticised South Korea after Seoul declined his request to assist the United States in its military operation against Iran. Trump said the decision prompted Washington to scale back military drills with the key US ally, while questioning why the United States should continue spending billions of dollars to defend South Korea from North Korea. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he had personally cal…
Several Democratic legislators in the U.S. Congress, but also a Republican senator, criticized President Donald Trump's decision to reduce the scope of joint military exercises with South Korea.
President Donald Trump explained this Monday from the Oval Office that his decision to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, despite the presence of U.S. troops in the country to deter a possible North Korean aggression, had much to do with Seoul’s refusal to help its Republican administration in its efforts to denuclearize Iran’s theocratic regime. Trump explained this point that he recently spoke on the phone with South Korean Pres…
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