Trump orders Hegseth to cut military drills with South Korea

President Trump announced Sunday that he has instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, a move that comes just one day before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills were set to begin.axios+1

A Familiar Playbook With New Justification

Trump posted the directive on Truth Social, citing South Korea's refusal to assist the United States in its efforts to denuclearize Iran and emphasizing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement echoes a similar decision Trump made during his first term in 2018, when he suspended large-scale exercises with South Korea following his summit with Kim in Singapore.pbs+1

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which involve tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, were scheduled to run from August 17 through August 27. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.congress+1

Escalating Pressure on Seoul

The order follows weeks of diplomatic signaling. Trump shared a throwback photo with Kim Jong Un on Truth Social days earlier, writing that the two leaders "get along great," a move widely interpreted as an overture toward renewed engagement with Pyongyang.instagram+1

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had recently proposed direct talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War and replace the 1953 armistice with a peace regime. Seoul has also shifted away from a "denuclearization-first" approach, instead pursuing a freeze on North Korea's nuclear program as an interim step.instagram+1

Alliance Under Strain

The decision adds to existing friction between Washington and Seoul. Congress passed a defense policy bill in December 2025 that sought to restrict the Trump administration's ability to reduce U.S. troop levels in South Korea. A CSIS analysis published days before Trump's announcement explored the scenario of renewed Trump-Kim summitry in the aftermath of the U.S. military campaign against Iran.legion+1

During a visit to Camp Humphreys in November 2025, Hegseth had signaled "flexibility" in the U.S. posture on the Korean Peninsula while emphasizing that the alliance's core mission of deterring North Korea would remain intact.youtube

Whether the reduction in exercises amounts to a temporary pause or a more lasting change in the U.S. military posture remains unclear. Axios noted the story was breaking news and subject to updates.axios