Because of the friendship with Kim - and Iran: Trump will reduce the military exercise with South Korea
US President Trump ordered the reduction of the joint military exercise with South Korea, citing his good relations with Kim Jong Un. In a social media post, he explained that the exercises convey a "hostile message" to Pyongyang, and took a dig at Seoul for refusing to help against Iran. The exercise included 18,000 South Korean troops and was supposed to last 11 days.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to reduce the planned joint military exercises with South Korea. In a social media post, Trump explained that the decision stems from his good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and that the exercises "convey a hostile and completely inappropriate message" toward Pyongyang. He noted that he chose reduction over cancellation, since "it is too late to cancel them entirely." Additionally, Trump took a dig at South Korea for refusing to join efforts to denuclearize Iran, saying its president replied "No thanks!" The exercise, which was supposed to last 11 days and include about 18,000 South Korean troops, was intended to increase force readiness against threats from the North. The decision comes amid renewed rapprochement between Trump and Kim, and after North Korea attacked the exercises, calling them "a general rehearsal for an aggressive war." This is not the first time Trump has acted against military cooperation with Seoul; in his first term, he stopped similar exercises after the 2018 Singapore summit.