President Donald Trump announced that the United States will substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea. He said the drills are costly and send an inappropriate hostile signal according to a post on his Truth Social account. Seoul officials responded that the exercises will proceed as scheduled.

About 18000 South Korean soldiers and roughly 28500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea and regularly participate in the annual drills. The training is intended to maintain readiness and deter North Korean threats especially after recent North Korean missile tests.

Trump noted his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and referenced a prior request for South Korea to join the United States in the denuclearization of Iran which Seoul declined. North Korea has not yet commented on the announcement.

Leif-Eric Easley a professor at Ewha University in Seoul said scaling back the exercises could damage alliance coordination slow South Korea's assumption of defense responsibilities and weaken deterrence against potential conflicts in Asia He added that the marginal cost savings are unlikely to offset the diplomatic risks.

The reduction echoes previous moves by Trump in 2018 and 2020 when he suspended or scaled down the drills during denuclearisation talks and the Covid-19 pandemic He has repeatedly criticized the financial burden of U.S. forces in the region and urged allies to increase contributions.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War an armistice that has been in place since 1953 The current proposal may influence future diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.