Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military drills with Seoul hours before start

Joint military drills between South Korea and US troops went ahead as planned on Monday despite US President Donald Trump's statement that he had ordered them to be scaled back out of respect for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back annual US-South Korean military drills, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The move comes as Pyongyang deepens military ties with Moscow and sends troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump cited South Korea's refusal to join US efforts to denuclearise Iran as reasons for scaling back the exercises.President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the Pentagon to “substantially” scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, citing Seoul’s refusal to join US efforts to “denuclearise” Iran and

Citing his ties with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, as well as Seoul's decision not to join U.S.-led actions against Iran, Trump said he was "not happy" with the current situation.