Story summary
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would be scaling back US military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good" relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and claiming that the exercises were expensive. The annual drills, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, were originally scheduled to run from August 13-27, but have been reduced in scope and scale at the direction of Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The decision has caused alarm among South Koreans, who rely heavily on the US for their security, as well as other US allies in the region. North Korea has been threatening a "new level" of nuclear deterrence in response to the planned drills, which Pyongyang state media called "a rehearsal for an invasion war."
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who had previously floated the idea of reducing joint military exercises with the US as a tool for drawing North Korea back to the table, has renewed his calls for wartime operational control of the military and progress on South Korea's nuclear submarine programme.
The decision to cut short the drills marks a significant shift in Trump's approach to North Korea, which he had previously criticized for its missile tests and threats. Trump added that US involvement in the exercises would send a "signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said has been "unthreatening and respectful" to his presidency.
The move has also sparked concerns among analysts and US senators about Trump's willingness to prioritize North Korean denuclearization over South Korea's security. Some have criticized Trump's approach as naive, citing the recent spate of North Korean missile tests and threats.
Written for “US-South Korea Military Tensions” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 21 other(s) covering the same event.
As Trump courts Kim, Pyongyang ups price while Seoul fears being sidelined
SEOUL - North Korea rebuffed President Trump's apparent bid to reengage with Pyongyang diplomatically this week, issuing rhetorical salvos aimed at Trump's last-minute orders to shorten U.S.- South Korea joint military exercises.
To reinforce its point, the North followed up later in the day with a barrage of about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles launched from around the capital Pyongyang eastward toward the sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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North → court → Staff
The U.S. and South Korean militaries wrapped up their annual drills six days earlier than initially scheduled on Friday in a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea, though the North suggested the step isn't enough to convince it to return to talks.
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step → wrap → talks
In a statement carried by state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong said Pyongyang regards the scaling back of the annual exercises as "unworthy of comment," nor does it change, she added, the drills' "provocative and offensive" nature.
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she → carry → nature
President Trump posted on social media on Monday that he had ordered the drills shortened because he thinks they are costly and send a hostile message to North Korea.
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they → post → Korea
He later said that he has reached out to Kim for a meeting and received a positive response.
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he → say → response
Pyongyang 'raises the price' of reengagement
Kim Yo Jong, however, dismissed what appeared to be Trump's latest overture.
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what → raise → reengagement
Responding to Trump's claim that he had been in contact with her brother, Kim said, "I am not aware of it at all."
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I → respond → it
But she acknowledged that while U.S. policies towards North Korea remain hostile, "the relationship between the two leaders is still excellent."
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relationship → acknowledge → leaders
The implication of Kim's sister's message is that she is "raising the price of re-engagement, rather than closing the door to a summit" between Trump and her brother, says Kuyoun Chung, a political scientist at Kangwon National University.
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Chung → raise → University
Since Trump's return to the White House last year, Pyongyang has repeatedly demanded recognition of its nuclear power status as a condition for resuming diplomacy.
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Pyongyang → demand → diplomacy
Washington has so far been unwilling to do so, because it would negate its long-standing policy of seeking the North's denuclearization, as well as U.N. Security Council resolutions.
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it → do → denuclearization
As North Korea's nuclear programs have advanced, pressure on them to denuclearize has weakened.
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pressure → advance → them
Seoul's policy is shifting from demanding denuclearization to seeking arms control, and calls in Washington for a similar approach have gained traction.
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calls → shift → traction
While Kim may see little point in meeting Trump, "it is entirely possible, in my view, that there could be a pro forma meeting, in which the two sides shake hands, sit down, have a nice chat, agree to discuss again," and go home, says Joseph Yun, who stepped down as acting ambassador to South Korea last October.
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who → see → Korea
South Korea fears being sidelined again
During the first Trump administration, South Korean mediation paved the way for three Trump-Kim summits in 2018 and 2019.
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mediation → fear → 2018
After the last summit failed to produce a deal, Kim bitterly accused Trump of playing him for an "idiot."
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Kim → fail → idiot
That led to a landmark shift in North Korea's foreign policy, which has strengthened Kim's position.
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which → lead → position
In 2023, North Korea formally abandoned the goal of reunifying with South Korea.
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Korea → abandon → Korea
Kim also signed a mutual defense pact with Russia, and revived ties with China, all but ruling out any role for South Korea as mediator.
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Kim → sign → mediator
Officially, South Korea said it hoped Trump's outreach would lead to renewed diplomatic engagement with North Korea.
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outreach → say → Korea
But South Koreans have been shocked by this week's events, which have heightened their fears of being sidelined during a Trump-Kim summit.
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which → shock → summit
They fear that in order to seal a deal with Kim, Trump could withdraw U.S. troops from South Korea and lift economic sanctions on the North, while leaving their nuclear arms in place.
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Trump → fear → place
"The United States would simply reap the diplomatic benefits of the summit," Kuyoun Chung says, "while South Korea bears all the security consequences of the concessions to North Korea."
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Korea → reap → Korea
This week, South Korea sought China's help with North Korea.
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Korea → seek → Korea
Visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged that China would continue to promote "peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
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China → visit → Peninsula
But asked whether China could help broker a summit between the U.S. and North Korea, Wang said the two countries should handle that themselves, and the U.S. should drop its hostile policies towards the North.
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U.S. → ask → North
Transactional approach risks 'eroding political trust'
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approach → risk → trust
Trump's curtailing the military drills has fueled South Korea's unease about the future of the alliance with the U.S.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers on Wednesday he'd do his best "to make sure the South Korea-U.S. alliance does not weaken" as the U.S. pursues dialogue with Pyongyang.
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U.S. → curtail → Pyongyang
Cho admitted that Seoul was caught off guard by Trump's orders.
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Seoul → admit → orders
But for Trump, Seoul has fallen short on his demands.
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Seoul → fall → demands
In the same social media post on Monday, Trump also complained that South Korea had declined his request to join the U.S. in its operations against Iran.
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Korea → complain → Iran
Cho Hyun said Wednesday that Trump's order to shorten drills was intended in part to pressure South Korea to speed up its investment of $350 billion in the U.S., in exchange for lower tariffs.
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order → say → tariffs
The administrations of President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung "actually share several broad objectives," notes Yu Jihoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, a government think tank.
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Jihoon → share → Analyses
They include restarting diplomacy with North Korea and increasing South Korea's responsibility for defending itself.
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They → include → itself
Where they differ is Trump's transactional approach.
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approach → differ → ?
"If South Koreans begin to believe that security commitments or military exercises can be used as leverage over unrelated issues such as Iran, investment, trade, or broader foreign policy disagreements," Yu says, "confidence in Washington's reliability could weaken."
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confidence → begin → reliability
Yu does not believe the South Korea-U.S. alliance is about to implode right away.
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alliance → believe → ?
"The greater risk is the gradual erosion of political trust," he says.
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he → say → trust
That erosion appears to be well under way.
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erosion → appear → way
In a recent poll by the Joongang Daily newspaper and the East Asia Institute, 45.4% of respondents see the U.S. as a trustworthy partner, while 46% see it as untrustworthy.
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% → see → it
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