Trump orders cut to US-South Korea joint drills, sparking criticism from lawmakers

President Donald Trump announced on social media that the Pentagon should scale back the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, an 11-day joint drill involving about 18,000 South Korean troops scheduled for 17-27 August. The decision was presented as a gesture toward North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, whom Trump described as “unthreatening and respectful,” despite recent North Korean missile tests.

Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee condemned the order. Jack Reed, the committee’s top Democrat, called it “another inane, haphazard decision” that makes U.S. commitments appear negotiable. He said the move “punishes South Korea for no reason beyond Trump’s ego.” Senator Mark Kelly added that the drills are essential for maintaining readiness, noting that North and South Korea remain technically at war.

Senator Andy Kim warned that linking the exercises to South Korea’s refusal to join a U.S. campaign against Iran shows a “disregard for this relationship.” Republican Senator Thom Tillis warned that weakening the drills could indirectly benefit Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The U.S.–South Korea alliance, rooted in the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty, currently includes roughly 28,500 American troops stationed in the peninsula and a joint command structure. The administration’s own 2026 threat assessment describes North Korea as an increasingly confident adversary with capabilities that threaten the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

The decision follows previous reductions in joint drills after the 2018 Trump-Kim summit, which were later restored when nuclear talks stalled. South Korea has also been vocal on Middle-East issues, expressing concern over Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank and condemning potential annexations of Palestinian territory.