Trump orders Pentagon to sharply reduce joint military drills with South Korea

Published Aug 16, 10:25 PM UTC

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on August 16, 2026, to substantially reduce planned joint military exercises with South Korea, citing cost and the signal they send to North Korea. Trump claimed in a social media post that the exercises are 'totally inappropriate and hostile' to North Korea, which he described as 'unthreatening and respectful' during his presidency. The decision followed Trump's claim that South Korea refused to help denuclearise Iran. The 11-day exercises involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers were designed to boost readiness against North Korean threats. This is not the first time Trump has sought to end such drills; he made a similar announcement after his 2018 summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore. North Korea has previously condemned U.S.-South Korean training as 'a rehearsal for an aggressive war.' Trump has expressed interest in resuming denuclearisation talks with North Korea.