Trump orders Pentagon to scale back military drills with South Korea hours before start

US President Donald Trump announced he had directed the Pentagon to scale back the annual joint military exercises with South Korea, describing them as "inappropriate and hostile." The statement, posted on Truth Social, came only hours before the 11-day drills were set to begin on Monday.

Trump said he was unhappy about the exercises, pointing to his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He argued the drills are costly, with the US covering much of the expense, and send a hostile signal to a country he described as having been respectful during his presidency. Since it was too late to cancel them outright, Trump said he had instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce their scope.

South Korea's defence ministry said the exercises would continue as previously notified and scheduled. The drills involve about 18,000 South Korean troops alongside US forces, with a heightened focus this year on drone warfare, GPS disruption and cyberattacks.

North Korea has long condemned the exercises as invasion rehearsals and issued several warnings last week, including test-firing a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan and threatening a "new level of deterrent."

Analysts expressed doubt that scaling back the drills would change North Korea's position, noting Pyongyang would likely only view a full cancellation as meaningful. Experts also warned that reducing the exercises could damage coordination between the allies and weaken deterrence in the region.

The drills come as North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation, with Pyongyang supplying troops and support for Moscow's war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said up to 50,000 North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia and has asked Seoul to provide air defence systems, a request that has so far gone unanswered.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June 2025, has pursued a more conciliatory approach toward Pyongyang, offering talks without preconditions, but North Korea has instead vowed to continue expanding its armament capabilities.