Drills Cut by Trump Are Central to the US-South Korea Alliance
Trump said the exercise was costly, and analysts warned the cut could affect 14 planned field trainings and alliance readiness.
- On Monday, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to "substantially" scale back the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.
- The Ulchi Freedom Shield, a cornerstone of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, is a computer-simulated exercise meant to prepare for regional threats; North Korea's Foreign Ministry vowed to respond with "a new level of a deterrent" to drills last Friday.
- South Korea's military had planned 14 field training exercises involving 18,000 soldiers, while Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, met South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday to discuss adjustments.
- Jung Chang Wook, head of the Korea Defense Study Forum think tank in Seoul, warned Trump's move poses "a big, crippling blow" to joint operation posture and could delay the transfer of wartime control to a binational command.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed on Tuesday the need to complete the wartime control transition by 2030, balancing national sovereignty desires with concerns that reducing drills could weaken the decades-long alliance.
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20 Articles
How has the US-South Korea relationship evolved under Trump?
The Toronto Star
Drills cut by Trump are central to the US-South Korea alliance
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — For decades, the United States and South Korea have regularly staged military drills to prepare their soldiers to work together smoothly in the event of a crisis or conflict with North Korea.
Ha most kitörne a haború, akkor egy amerikai tábornok vezetné a dél-koreai fegyveres erőket.
If South Korea won't defend Hormuz, Trump should pull the nuclear umbrella
President Donald Trump’s decision to curtail the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises exposes a foundational pathology within the U.S.-South Korea alliance. For decades, Washington has tolerated a dangerous asymmetry: Seoul expects the protection of 28,500 American troops, continuous joint training, and billions in U.S. taxpayer subsidies, yet blinks at broader global threats. When Washington requested South Korean support against Iranian aggression, …
Has the US South Korea Alliance Changed Under Trump?
Yes. The US South Korea relationship has not broken down under Donald Trump, but it has become more transactional, cost focused and strategically uncertain. The latest decision to scale back joint military exercises highlights a broader evolution in which Washington increasingly expects Seoul to shoulder more of the alliance burden while seeking greater flexibility for […] The post Has the US South Korea Alliance Changed Under Trump? appeared fi…
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