President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has directed the Defense Department to scale down joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Trump said the large, annual military drills sent a “signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, a country with which the U.S. has no formal diplomatic ties but which Trump says has been “unthreatening and respectful” as long as he has been president.
“Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” Trump wrote.
Trump also mentioned South Korea’s refusal to join the Iran war.
“While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump wrote.
NEWS: Trump says he has ordered Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and calling the drills “hostile.”
Trump says he is helping North Korea because South Korea refused to… pic.twitter.com/hT7IULtRui
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) August 16, 2026
Trump:
Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we’re smiling, Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT! pic.twitter.com/NrapNnfZJU
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2026