WASHINGTON/SEOUL / President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially scale back joint U.S.–South Korean military exercises, reviving a policy he pursued during his first administration as he seeks renewed engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump announced the decision shortly before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday, August 17, saying the drills were expensive and sent what he considered an unnecessarily hostile message to Pyongyang. He also linked his decision to South Korea’s unwillingness to support U.S. actions against Iran.

The president said it was already too late to cancel this year’s exercise entirely but instructed the Pentagon to reduce its scale. He pointed to what he described as his “very good relationship” with Kim and argued that North Korea had been relatively restrained toward his administration.

The move marks a significant shift in Washington’s approach to one of its most important security alliances in Asia at a time when North Korea is continuing to expand its missile and nuclear capabilities.

Ulchi Freedom Shield Begins Despite Trump’s Order

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 began as scheduled on August 17 and is due to continue through August 27.

Around 18,000 South Korean troops are expected to participate, roughly comparable to previous years. The training was designed to incorporate lessons from recent conflicts and includes preparations against drone attacks, cyber operations, GPS disruption and other emerging battlefield threats.

It was not immediately clear how extensively the exercise would be reduced following Trump’s last-minute order.

The United States and South Korea have long maintained that such exercises are defensive and are intended to improve interoperability and readiness in the event of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. Forces Korea describes the annual exercises as a means of strengthening the combined defense posture and improving the allies’ ability to respond to a broad range of security threats.

Approximately 28,500 U.S. service members remain stationed in South Korea, forming the backbone of Washington’s military commitment to Seoul and its deterrence strategy against North Korea.

Trump Again Turns to Personal Diplomacy With Kim

Trump’s decision comes as he once again emphasizes his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un.

Just before announcing the reduction in military exercises, Trump posted an old photograph of himself with Kim from their historic 2019 encounter at the inter-Korean border and said the two leaders continued to get along well.

Trump and Kim held three high-profile meetings during Trump’s first presidency: in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in 2019 and at the Demilitarized Zone later that year.

During the DMZ meeting, Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to cross the military demarcation line into North Korea.

But the diplomacy ultimately failed to produce an agreement ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Negotiations stalled over disagreements involving sanctions relief, nuclear facilities and the scope and timing of denuclearization.

Trump had previously reduced or suspended major U.S.–South Korean exercises during his diplomatic outreach to Kim, arguing that the drills were costly and provocative. The current decision therefore closely resembles the strategy he employed in 2018.

North Korea Conducting New Missile Tests

Trump’s move comes despite renewed weapons activity by Pyongyang.

North Korea carried out a short-range ballistic missile launch from the Wonsan area on August 6, its first ballistic missile test since late June. South Korea, Japan and the United States increased monitoring following the launch.

Less than a week later, another ballistic missile was detected. South Korean and Japanese authorities said the August 12 projectile traveled roughly 700 kilometers, making it North Korea’s second suspected ballistic missile launch within a week and its 11th such test of 2026 according to South Korean assessments.

North Korea has also strongly condemned Ulchi Freedom Shield, portraying the exercises as preparation for an attack.

Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry recently accused expanding military cooperation among the United States, South Korea and Japan of creating what it described as a nuclear-oriented alliance and warned that North Korea would respond by strengthening its own nuclear deterrent.

Washington and Seoul reject North Korea’s claims that the exercises are preparations for invasion.

Seoul Responds Cautiously

South Korea reacted carefully to Trump’s announcement.

The presidential Blue House said Seoul was reviewing the U.S. president’s remarks and would continue consultations with Washington over military cooperation. At the same time, South Korean officials expressed hope that Trump’s relationship with Kim could eventually help reopen meaningful dialogue with Pyongyang.

The development comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is pursuing his own diplomatic initiative toward the North.

On August 15, Lee proposed renewed talks with Pyongyang aimed at replacing the armistice that halted the Korean War in 1953 with a more permanent peace arrangement. He argued that dialogue and tension-reduction measures were necessary to prevent military confrontation and address North Korea’s nuclear programme.

The Korean War technically has never formally ended because fighting stopped under an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Iran Dispute Adds New Tension to Alliance

Trump also introduced an unexpected Middle East dimension into the dispute.

He said he had recently asked South Korean President Lee whether Seoul wanted to participate in U.S. efforts involving the “denuclearization” of Iran, but South Korea declined.

Reuters and the Associated Press reported that Trump cited Seoul’s refusal to support U.S. actions against Iran as another reason for reducing the exercises.

South Korea has said it will continue diplomatic consultations with Washington on military cooperation related to the Middle East, including developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iran issue adds another layer of uncertainty to an alliance already facing discussions over military spending, troop costs and the division of defense responsibilities.

Seoul has also committed to a $350 billion U.S. investment package under a broader trade agreement with Washington, demonstrating the enormous economic as well as security stakes in the bilateral relationship. South Korea’s parliament passed legislation in March establishing a mechanism to manage those investments.

Military Readiness Versus Diplomacy

Trump’s decision presents Seoul and Washington with a difficult strategic calculation.

Supporters of reducing the exercises may see the move as a confidence-building measure capable of lowering tensions and creating space for renewed negotiations with Kim.

Military planners, however, have traditionally viewed combined exercises as essential for ensuring that U.S. and South Korean forces can operate together effectively during a crisis.

U.S. Forces Korea says combined training is intended to maintain readiness and reinforce the alliance’s ability to respond to threats across land, air, sea, cyber and other domains.

Analysts have also cautioned that today’s strategic environment is considerably different from the one Trump faced during his first negotiations with Kim. North Korea has expanded its nuclear and missile capabilities, strengthened relations with Russia and gained military experience through its involvement alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.

That means reducing exercises may not provide Washington with the same diplomatic leverage it hoped to gain in 2018.

A New Attempt to Bring Kim Back to the Table?

The central question now is whether Trump’s gesture will persuade Kim Jong Un to return to negotiations.

Trump appears to believe that his personal relationship with the North Korean leader remains an important diplomatic asset. Seoul, which has been seeking ways to reduce tensions with Pyongyang, may welcome renewed U.S.–North Korean dialogue.

But Pyongyang has so far given no public indication that it is prepared to return to negotiations on Washington’s traditional demand for denuclearization.

Instead, North Korea has continued weapons testing while insisting that its nuclear arsenal is essential to national security.

Trump’s decision therefore represents both a diplomatic opening and a strategic gamble: Washington is reducing one of the military activities Pyongyang has long condemned in hopes of creating room for talks, even as North Korea continues developing the very weapons those exercises are designed to deter.

Whether Kim responds with dialogue—or simply treats the reduction as a unilateral concession—could determine the next phase of security and diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.