President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to reduce the scale of upcoming military exercises with South Korea. He cited high costs and a potentially hostile signal sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as reasons for this decision.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed displeasure with the current military commitments between the United States and South Korea. He stated, “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.”

The Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual 11-day military exercise aimed at enhancing defense readiness on the Korean Peninsula. Around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed there as part of U.S. Forces Korea. This year, the exercise will involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops, consistent with previous years.

North Korea consistently opposes these drills. A statement from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry labeled the exercise “a rehearsal for an aggressive war.” The statement was released by state media and reported by Reuters.

The President referred to a diplomatic issue with Iran, noting that South Korea declined to join U.S. efforts to denuclearize the Islamic Republic of Iran. Trump mentioned this interaction in the same social media post.

Trump’s directive follows a rise in missile tests by Pyongyang. This month, North Korea conducted two ballistic missile launches within six days. The most recent test on August 12 prompted a response from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which is closely consulting with regional allies. The Command stated the launch did not pose an immediate threat.

Similar reassurances were given after the earlier launch on August 6, with U.S. officials affirming their commitment to defend the U.S. homeland and regional allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted concerns over North Korea’s use of Russian battlefields to test military technology. He warned that North Korean collaboration with Russia could pose greater risks to countries like Japan and South Korea.

This is not Trump’s first order to scale back joint exercises with South Korea. During his first term, following a summit in Singapore with Kim Jong Un, he described the exercises as “provocative” and costly.