Donald Trump announces reduction in military exercises with South Korea

It’s a gesture that should please Pyongyang, much less so Seoul. Donald Trump announced on Sunday "considerably reducing" the participation of the United States in imminent military exercises with South Korea due in particular to his "very good relationship with Kim Jong-un", the leader of North Korea.

The announcement, made on his Truth Social platform, is part of the long list of snubs addressed by the American president to historic allies of the United States since his return to the White House in 2025.

Trump welcomes Pyongyang's current attitude

Donald Trump denounces in his message exercises that are “not only costly” and which according to him “send a totally inappropriate and hostile signal” towards North Korea. A country which, “since Donald Trump became president, has been non-threatening and respectful,” he added in the third person.

Called “Ulchi Freedom Shield”, these annual exercises were to begin this Monday for 11 days and mobilize 18,000 South Korean soldiers as well as personnel from the American contingent of 28,500 men stationed in the country. A regular summer event for the South Korean armed forces and their American allies, these maneuvers are designed to prepare them for defense against North Korea, a country with nuclear weapons. Joint military exercises with the United States began “as planned”, the South Korean Ministry of Defense nevertheless assured this Monday.

Seoul’s “no” to Trump on Iran

On Truth Social, Donald Trump also mentioned Seoul's non-participation in US military operations against Iran. "Although it's relatively unrelated(?), I recently asked the president of South Korea if they would join us in denuclearizing the Islamic Republic of Iran and they said 'No thanks!' “, he wrote. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said in June, in the midst of a lull in the conflict between the United States and Iran, that Donald Trump now wanted to focus on resolving “the North Korean question”.

Considered conciliatory towards North Korea, Lee Jae Myung has taken the opposite view from his predecessor, known for his firmness, since coming to power in June 2025, offering Pyongyang talks without preconditions. But the North Korean authorities have so far not responded to these repeated offers.

This weekend was therefore an opportunity for Donald Trump to show his desire to reconnect with Pyongyang. On Saturday, he published an image on Truth Social showing him alongside Kim Jong-un during their historic meeting in 2019, during his first term. “Despite the unfriendly appearances in this particular photo, there are plenty of us smiling,” he captioned it, adding, “Kim Jong-un and I get along VERY WELL!” »