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Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea military drills

Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea military drills

Force in Play

A president who once suspended the exercises now moves to shrink them, citing cost and ties with Kim Jong Un

Yesterday: Order takes effect as drills begin

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Hours before the drills were set to begin, President Trump told the Pentagon to shrink the largest annual joint military exercise the United States runs with South Korea. He cited the cost, Seoul's refusal to help in the Iran war, and his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The exercises are a core piece of a defense alliance built in 1953. Shrinking them cuts practice time for the two militaries and signals to Pyongyang that the U.S. may pull back one of its most visible deterrents against a nuclear-armed neighbor.

Why it matters

Fewer joint drills mean less combat-ready coordination between 28,500 U.S. troops and South Korea's military, next to a nuclear-armed North Korea.

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Key Indicators

28,500
U.S. troops in South Korea
The standing American force on the peninsula, unchanged by the order.
18,000
South Korean troops in the drill
Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 ran Aug. 17-27 with about this many Korean personnel.
1953
Year the alliance was signed
The U.S.-South Korea mutual defense treaty dates to the Korean War's end.
Proceeded
Status of this year's drill
Seoul said the exercise ran as scheduled; the order affects future scale.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

June 2018 August 2026

6 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Order takes effect as drills begin

    Latest Policy

    Trump directs Secretary Hegseth to 'substantially reduce' the exercises. Seoul says the 2026 drill still proceeds as scheduled.

  2. Trump posts he is 'not happy'

    Statement

    On Truth Social, Trump says the drills are costly and hostile to North Korea. He tells the Pentagon to shrink them.

  3. Ulchi Freedom Shield dates announced

    Planning

    Seoul and Washington confirm the drill will run Aug. 17-27 with about 18,000 Korean troops and thousands of Americans.

  4. Hegseth backs Korean wartime command

    Statement

    At the Shangri-La Dialogue, the defense secretary says the U.S. welcomes South Korea's wish to take back wartime operational control of its forces.

  5. Lee and Trump meet in Washington

    Diplomacy

    South Korea's new president praises Trump as a peacemaker. The two discuss trade and modernizing the alliance, including wartime command.

  6. Trump suspends drills after Singapore summit

    Precedent

    After meeting Kim Jong Un, Trump calls the exercises provocative and costly. The Pentagon suspends the Freedom Guardian drill.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1992

Team Spirit exercise halted (1992)

Washington and Seoul canceled the large Team Spirit drill as an incentive during early nuclear talks with North Korea. Pyongyang had demanded the exercise end.

Then

North Korea allowed some inspections of its nuclear sites. The gesture briefly eased tensions on the peninsula.

Now

The drill was revived in 1993 when inspections stalled, feeding a crisis that led to the 1994 Agreed Framework nuclear deal.

Why this matters now

It shows a long pattern: cutting drills to coax North Korea works only as long as the diplomacy behind it holds.

June 2018

Singapore summit exercise suspension (2018)

After meeting Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Trump called joint drills provocative and costly. Defense Secretary James Mattis suspended the Freedom Guardian exercise and two Marine training events.

Then

Major exercises paused as the U.S. and North Korea pursued talks. Pyongyang held off on nuclear and long-range missile tests for a time.

Now

Talks collapsed after the 2019 Hanoi summit. Drills gradually resumed, though often at reduced scale, and North Korea returned to testing.

Why this matters now

It is the direct model for the 2026 order: same rationale, same leader, same tradeoff between diplomacy and readiness.

Sources

(8)