Trump tells Hegseth to cut back U.S.-South Korea drills
Source: www.axios.com ·
Section: politics ·
Bias: Center-Right
· Published: Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:59:59 GMT
President Trump said Sunday he instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" U.S. military exercises with South Korea.The big picture: Trump cited his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for condemning the drills — and also noted on Truth Social that South Korea declined his request to help the U.S. denuclearize Iran.What he's saying: "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile," Trump wrote.Context: The U.S. and South Korean militaries were due to start regular military drills on Monday in an exercise known as "Ulchi Freedom Shield."The drills have been held annually under that name since 2022, though the U.S.-South Korea summertime exercises they evolved from date back decades.Friction point: On Wednesday, North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test for the first time since June, which experts and military officials assessed as an apparent protest against the drills.The U.S., Japan and South Korea condemned the missile launch.What we're watching: The Japan-based USS George Washington is being redeployed from the Pacific to the Middle East, where it is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.That leaves the U.S. without a Pacific aircraft carrier at the same time that Trump is scaling back from the Korean drills. Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.
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