South Korea reduces joint war games with United States after Washington request

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the United States will scale back the annual joint military exercises conducted with South Korea, arguing that the decision reflects a “very good” relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The statement was made during a press briefing at the White House, where the president emphasized that the reduction in training activities is intended to support diplomatic engagement on the Korean Peninsula and to avoid unnecessary provocation.

The proposed curtailment marks a shift from a decades‑long practice of large‑scale combined drills that have been a cornerstone of the U.S.–South Korean alliance. South Korean officials expressed concern that scaling back the exercises could weaken deterrence against potential aggression, while senior U.S. defense advisers warned that reduced interoperability might compromise readiness. Analysts note that the move follows recent diplomatic overtures between Washington and Pyongyang, but it also introduces uncertainty about the future of security cooperation in the region.