President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to reduce American participation in the drills that the United States runs every summer with South Korea, delivering the directive by social media post less than a day before the 11-day exercise was scheduled to begin. He gave three reasons: the cost, South Korea’s refusal to help with the American war against Iran, and his personal relationship with the man who runs the world’s most repressive state.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote. He argued that the exercises “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,” and described North Korea as respectful toward the United States for as long as he has been in office.
Trump’s post came a day after he shared a 2019 photo of himself with Kim at the inter-Korean border. He wrote, “Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we’re smiling, Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!” In the same series of posts, he also shared shared a Trump 2028 image and several AI-generated pictures showing himself next to George Washington.
By Monday morning, Trump had shifted his focus to another ally. During a phone call with Fox News, he threatened to bomb Oman if it got in the way of his approach to the Strait of Hormuz, using strong language to make his point. Oman has been working with Iran on a plan to reopen the waterway.
What the Order Actually Does
Ulchi Freedom Shield is one of two major annual exercises held by the U.S. and South Korean militaries. This year, it was set for August 17 to August 27, with about 18,000 South Korean troops training with American forces on precision targeting, river crossings, and defenses against drones, GPS jamming, and cyberattacks.
Trump’s order did not affect the 28,500 American troops permanently based in South Korea. Instead, it changed the training, which is key to making sure both militaries can work together in combat. Seoul’s defense ministry said the drills started Monday as planned, but officials in both countries have not explained what the reduced exercises will actually involve.
Trump’s mention of Iran was almost an afterthought. He said he asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung if South Korea wanted to join U.S. efforts against Tehran, but Lee declined. According to Lee’s office, South Korea took part in international ceasefire talks and is still discussing military contributions with Washington.
The Iran War Is Now a Loyalty Test
The decision about South Korea is not a one-time outburst. It is the latest example of Trump punishing allies who refuse to join his wars, a pattern that has weakened the alliance system he inherited compared to a year ago.
Trump has already criticized the other allies by name. He told reporters that Japan, Australia, South Korea, and NATO did not help him, and he called NATO a paper tiger after its members closed airspace and bases to U.S. forces. He also connected these disputes to his attempt to buy Greenland.
South Korea has faced repeated setbacks over the past year, often at a cost. Seoul promised hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. investment to ease threatened tariffs, which Trump set at 15% on Korean goods. Later, federal agents detained hundreds of Korean workers at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, showing them in handcuffs on camera in the largest single-site immigration operation in Homeland Security history. Now, the joint defense of the peninsula is also at risk.
Criticism in Washington came quickly. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a retired Navy combat pilot, called the decision shortsighted and a mistake. Regional analysts told reporters that Trump’s characterization of North Korea as unthreatening is alarming to allies watching Pyongyang steadily improve its missile and nuclear capabilities while gaining Russia as a patron.
Seoul Is Left Managing the Damage
South Korea’s presidential office responded by stressing ongoing cooperation with Washington and expressing hope that the positive relationship between Trump and Kim could lead to real talks. Behind these diplomatic statements, the government has asked for discussions with Washington to clarify what the reduced drills will mean in practice.
Criticism within South Korea has been more direct. A conservative opposition lawmaker accused Trump of weakening defense by putting his relationship with Kim ahead of the peninsula’s security. Some analysts in Seoul see the move as an incentive to bring Kim back to negotiations before a possible diplomatic opportunity this fall.
Kim Gave Up Nothing
The idea that North Korea is not a threat does not hold up against recent events. Pyongyang launched ballistic missiles twice this month, on August 5 and August 12, violating United Nations resolutions. In June, Kim said his country had doubled its weapons-grade fissile material production over fire years, and outside estimates now put the arsenal at about 60 warheads, with enough material for many more.
Pyongyang has made it clear that its nuclear weapons are not up for negotiation. Last month, Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister and a key foreign policy figure, called nuclear weapons the regime’s ultimate shield and said North Korea’s nuclear status is final and irreversible. North Korean troops are still fighting for Russia in Ukraine, making the regime less reliant on U.S. sanctions relief than ever before.
This is the trade Trump made. He gave up part of allied military readiness to a government that has given nothing in return except not insulting him personally.
This Is Not New Behavior
Anyone surprised by Sunday’s post has not been following the past eight years. In 2018, after the Singapore summit, Trump suspended the same exercise, calling it provocative and expensive, using almost the same words as this weekend. The talks meant to justify that move fell apart at the Hanoi summit the next year.
Trump’s admiration was always clear. At a 2018 rally, he said he and Kim “fell in love” after Kim sent him what he called beautiful letters. Years later, Trump still named authoritarian leaders as his best counterparts among world leaders. On the campaign trail, he grouped Putin, Xi, and Orbán together as top-performing leaders.
Trump does not admire Kim’s policies, but his hold on power. Kim took control in his twenties and has never faced voters, courts, or a free press. Human rights groups and the United Nations have reported atrocities under Kim, including prison camps, public executions, and mass starvation. Trump has never publicly criticized any of this. He calls Kim smart, tough, and in total control, and means these as compliments.
This instinct now shapes American foreign policy. Researchers who study democratic decline say it encourages autocrats around the world, who see the U.S. rewarding strongmen and leaving behind allies that hold elections. The same weekend Trump praised a communist dictator, he also shared Fox News segments attacking Democrats as communists and posted pictures of himself wearing a 2028 campaign hat.
What It Costs
Allies pay attention to a president’s actions, even when the spotlight is elsewhere. Japan, Taiwan, and NATO members saw the U.S. president cancel allied training with only 24 hours’ notice to avoid upsetting a nuclear-armed rival, then threaten to bomb a Gulf partner over a shipping disagreement.
Deterrence on the Korean Peninsula depends on one belief: the United States will fight alongside South Korea. Trump has now shown the world that this commitment can change, and that the decision is made on his terms, often influenced by who has flattered him most recently.
Kim Jong Un has waited for years for a U.S. president to stop these exercises. He did not have to give up a single warhead to get one to start doing it for nothing.
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