Why Trump ordered U.S. military to reduce exercises with South Korea

President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back its joint military exercises with South Korea after he said the country declined to join the U.S.'s efforts to denuclearize Iran. CBS News Pentagon reporter Eleanor Watson has more details.

South Korea is hoping to engage in talks with the Trump administration following the president’s announcement Sunday that he is ordering a reduction in U.S. troop participation in joint military exercises with soldiers in Seoul.  The country’s presidential Blue House said it “hopes that the friendly relationship betwee

Washington DC and Seoul, South Korea —  President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would reduce military exercises with key regional ally South Korea, just hours before they were due to get underway, citing his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s lack of assistance

August 16, 2026 9:35 PM ET President Donald Trump has ordered a sharp cutback to the long-running military drills the United States conducts alongside South Korea.The Republican president announced the decision Sunday in a Truth Social post, directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce the Joint Mi

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has instructed the Pentagon to "substantially" reduce joint South Korea-US military exercises, in what appears to be a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea. Trump made the remarks in a social media post, saying the exercises are not only "costly" but also send a "totally

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has directed the Pentagon to scale down joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the country’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Trump says US will reduce military exercises with South Korea, citing lack of help with Iran  cnn.com

"These exercises are not only costly... but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile," he wrote in a Truth Social post.

A day earlier, Trump posted a photo of himself standing next to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, writing that the two leaders get along great.

Trump instructs Pentagon to reduce military exercises with South Korea  Reuters

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site that, although it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely, he was "not happy" that the United States had previously agreed to participate.

Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had instructed the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea in a social media post that also mentions Seoul's refusal to take part in actions against Iran. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site that, although it

He pointed to Seoul's refusal to take part in actions against Iran, and his ties with Kim Jong Un.