Trump is dissatisfied with the joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea and announces a significant reduction in the scale of "Ulchi Freedom Shield"

(Central News Agency, Washington, 16th Comprehensive Foreign News Report) U.S. President Trump said today that he is "not satisfied" with the United States' participation in joint military exercises with South Korea and decided to scale down the "Ulchi Freedom Shield" joint military exercise that will start tomorrow and is aimed at deterring North Korea.

AFP reported that Trump said on his Truth Social platform: "Based on the very good relationship between me and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, I am dissatisfied with the fact that the United States agreed to conduct joint military exercises with South Korea a long time ago."

"Not only are these exercises extremely expensive, a large part of which are paid for (as always) by the United States, but they also send a completely inappropriate and hostile message to a country that has been non-threatening and respectful as long as Trump is president," he said.

Trump further pointed out that it is too late to cancel the exercise, so he has instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to "significantly reduce" the scale of the exercise.

The 11-day joint military exercise called "Ulchi Freedom Shield" will start tomorrow. It is a routine summer military exercise between the South Korean armed forces and the US military. It aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of North Korea, which possesses nuclear weapons.

Such military drills have always displeased Pyongyang, which criticizes them as a rehearsal for an invasion.

Trump held historic direct talks with Kim Jong-un during his first term as president, but ultimately failed to resolve North Korea's nuclear weapons program. His last meeting with Kim Jong Un was in 2019.

ROK/US Combined Forces Command (ROK/US Combined Forces Command) spokesman Ryan Donald said on the 10th that this exercise will simulate confrontation with North Korean troops who have experienced the baptism of the Russia-Ukraine war.