WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea and indicated his decision to do so was driven by frustration the longtime U.S. ally hadn’t provided more support for his war with Iran.
Trump said in a social post Sunday the drills were costly and sent an “inappropriate signal” to North Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with its leader Kim Jong Un. A 10-day joint exercise involving some 18,000 South Korean troops was scheduled to begin Monday with the goal of addressing new threats from North Korea, officials in Seoul said last week.
Trump’s announcement appeared to catch Seoul by surprise. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Monday the drills would continue as planned, but later President Lee Jae Myung’s office said that Seoul and Washington would coordinate closely on the details. Seoul is also in close consultations with Washington on ways to make “practical and military contributions” on the Middle East issues, the office said in a statement.
South Korea, like many U.S. allies, has declined to get involved in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began with airstrikes on Feb. 28. Trump has previously complained about European allies refusing to let the U.S. use their airfields to launch attacks.
In his social post, Trump said South Korea had declined to “join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He said that while it was too late to cancel the exercises, they would be reduced.
Trump’s apparent decision to again use a military commitment as leverage may cause concern among other Asia-Pacific allies such as Japan and Australia. Both have security treaties with the U.S., but have also opted to stay out of the Iran conflict.
“Japan will certainly be concerned,” said Adam Farrar, a senior geoeconomics analyst at Bloomberg Economics and former director on the U.S. National Security Council covering Korea in both the Trump and Biden administrations. “If this was driven by Iran, they themselves are at risk, given their own unwillingness to get involved.”
“No matter what the reason is, this type of last-minute decision will raise questions about the U.S. commitment to its Asian allies and potentially impact deterrence,” Farrar added.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s announcement came as the lone U.S. aircraft carrier in the Asia-Pacific region, the USS George Washington, was being diverted from the region to the Middle East, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. The U.S. typically keeps at least one carrier in the region to help deter China and North Korea.
The decision by Trump may also be driven by other points of tension in the relationship. It comes following a media report that Washington is pressing Seoul to accelerate plans for strategic investment projects in the U.S.
South Korea has made less visible progress on fleshing out the strategic projects that form part of a $350 billion investment pledge than Japan has with a similar $550 billion commitment. Both countries made the investment pledges during trade negotiations with the U.S. to limit tariffs on their export-dependent economies.
There is a precedent for Trump scaling back joint exercises. While the U.S. and South Korea have conducted joint military drills for decades, they were curtailed during Trump’s first presidency when he negotiated with Kim. Those talks collapsed without any agreement on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
“This time, the rationale is less clear. With Russian backing, Kim is in a stronger position and has so far shown little interest in engagement,” Farrar said.
Trump’s announcement raises the question of how the exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, might be reduced at short notice. U.S. military officials have portrayed the drills as a means to counter North Korean capabilities that have been honed on the battlefield, as Pyongyang continues to provide military support for Russia in its war on Ukraine.
As well as testing ballistic missile systems, North Korea has gained exposure to modern technology such as drones.
North Korea has made its displeasure at the drills clear. On Wednesday it fired a ballistic missile off its east coast, six days after launching a short-range ballistic missile. On Friday it vowed to continue exercising its right to self-defense.
“It is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent,” a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
Despite ongoing friction, South Korean President Lee on Saturday called for dialogue with North Korea and pledged to take steps to reduce military tensions and establish peaceful coexistence on the peninsula in a Liberation Day address. South Korea will fulfill its role as a “peacemaker” and stakeholder in stable relations on the Korean peninsula, Lee said.
On Monday, Lee’s office responded positively to Trump’s comments about Kim. In its statement it said it expects the friendly relations between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea would lead to “meaningful” dialogue for peace on the Korean peninsula.
China said it would welcome renewed dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea following Trump’s social post. “We have noticed relevant reports. Maintaining peace and stability in the peninsula and promoting the political solution of the peninsula issue fits the interest of all sides,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing.
The Iran war has sharply increased the price of oil and gas and put pressure on Trump’s Republican party heading into midterm elections. The U.S. has said it is readying economic measures against Tehran, in an effort to force Iran to capitulate after months of stalled talks.
Nonetheless, North Korea “remains unfinished business for Trump, who clearly wants another go at direct diplomacy with Kim,” said Jeremy Chan, a senior analyst for China and Northeast Asia at the Eurasia Group.
“However, the fundamental obstacle to resumed diplomacy remains Trump’s unwillingness to acknowledge North Korea’s nuclear weapons program,” he said.
With assistance from Sam Kim, Tony Czuczka, Paul Jackson, Cat Barton, Youkyung Lee and Colum Murphy.
