Trump Scales Back US-South Korea Military Exercise, Citing Kim Ties and Seoul's Iran Snub

On 16 August 2026, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day joint US-South Korea military exercise involving 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump cited his close relationship with Kim Jong-Un and Seoul's refusal to join the US campaign against Iran. The order followed North Korean ballistic missile tests and drew swift condemnation from Senate Democrats.