US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to significantly scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, calling them costly and an “inappropriate and hostile” message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The decision was announced a day before the start of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which was scheduled to involve about 18,000 South Korean soldiers.
Trump also cited his dissatisfaction with Seoul’s lack of cooperation with Washington on the issue of Iran’s nuclear disarmament as one of the reasons for this decision.
The move comes as North Korea has conducted two ballistic missile tests this month, raising concerns about the country’s military capabilities.
