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Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea military drills

Trump orders cuts to US-South Korea military drills

Force in Play

A president who once suspended the exercises now shrinks them and says he'll meet Kim Jong Un again, though North Korea won't confirm any contact

August 19th, 2026: Kim Yo Jong delivers North Korea's first response

Overview

Updated Aug 20

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to shrink the largest annual U.S.-South Korea military exercise. The drill ended six days early, on Aug. 21 instead of the planned Aug. 27, after the Pentagon canceled or simulated some live-training events.

North Korea's first official reaction came from Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un. She called the cutback meaningless and said she had no knowledge of any contact between her brother and Trump. Trump said Wednesday he still plans to meet Kim later this year.

Why it matters

Fewer joint drills mean less combat-ready coordination between 28,500 U.S. troops and South Korea's military, next to a nuclear-armed North Korea.

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Key Indicators

28,500
U.S. troops in South Korea
The standing American force on the peninsula, unchanged by the order.
18,000
South Korean troops in the drill
Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 involved about this many Korean personnel before the exercise was cut short.
1953
Year the alliance was signed
The U.S.-South Korea mutual defense treaty dates to the Korean War's end.
14 of 17
Field-training events this year
Battalion-level or larger live field exercises fell from 17 in 2025 to 14 in 2026, planned before Trump's order added further cuts.
5 of 10 days
Length of Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026
The drill ran Aug. 17-21 instead of the scheduled Aug. 17-27 after Trump's order; some live events were canceled or turned into simulations.

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People Involved

Donald Trump
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Says he intends to meet Kim Jong Un later this year, despite North Korea denying any known contact
 Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth
U.S. Secretary of Defense
Ordered to carry out the reduction
 Lee Jae Myung
Lee Jae Myung
President of South Korea
Reaffirms plan to retake wartime operational control of South Korean troops by 2030 and calls for a faster nuclear-submarine program
 Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un
Leader of North Korea
North Korea's first official reaction, delivered by his sister Kim Yo Jong, dismisses the drill cutback and denies knowledge of any contact with Trump
 Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery
Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery
Retired U.S. Navy admiral, defense analyst
Publicly critical of the order
 Kim Yo Jong
Kim Yo Jong
Senior North Korean official, sister of Kim Jong Un
Delivered North Korea's first official response to the drill cutback; dismissed it and denied knowledge of any Trump contact

Organizations Involved

United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea
Military command
Cut Ulchi Freedom Shield short by six days after Trump's order, canceling or simulating some live-training events

The U.S. military command that stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea and runs combined drills with Korean forces.
United Nations Command
United Nations Command
Multinational military command
Coordinates allied participation in the drills

The multinational command, formed in the Korean War, that brings other allied states into the peninsula's defense.

Timeline

June 2018 August 2026

11 events Latest: August 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago Showing 8 of 11
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Kim Yo Jong delivers North Korea's first response

    Latest Statement

    Kim Jong Un's sister said the drill cutback changes nothing and the exercises remain provocative regardless of size. She also said she was not aware of any contact between Kim and Trump.

  2. Trump says he plans to meet Kim later this year

    Statement

    Trump told reporters he intends to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of 2026 but gave no date and would not say whether the two had exchanged letters.

  3. Lee says South Korea must prepare for 'worst-case scenario'

    Statement

    Lee Jae Myung called the drills purely defensive but said peace efforts must be paired with readiness for the worst case on the peninsula.

  4. Lee reaffirms push to retake wartime operational control

    Policy

    At a Cabinet meeting, Lee Jae Myung said South Korea should keep its 2030 target for retaking wartime operational control of its own troops and told officials to speed up its nuclear-powered submarine program.

  5. Order takes effect as drills begin

    Policy

    Trump directs Secretary Hegseth to 'substantially reduce' the exercises. Seoul says the 2026 drill still proceeds as scheduled.

  6. Trump says Kim responded 'very positively'

    Statement

    In the Oval Office, Trump said Kim Jong Un reacted positively when he raised cutting back the drills. North Korea's government made no official statement in response.

  7. Trump posts he is 'not happy'

    Statement

    On Truth Social, Trump says the drills are costly and hostile to North Korea. He tells the Pentagon to shrink them.

  8. Ulchi Freedom Shield dates announced

    Planning

    Seoul and Washington confirm the drill will run Aug. 17-27 with about 18,000 Korean troops and thousands of Americans.

  9. Hegseth backs Korean wartime command

    Statement

    At the Shangri-La Dialogue, the defense secretary says the U.S. welcomes South Korea's wish to take back wartime operational control of its forces.

  10. Lee and Trump meet in Washington

    Diplomacy

    South Korea's new president praises Trump as a peacemaker. The two discuss trade and modernizing the alliance, including wartime command.

  11. Trump suspends drills after Singapore summit

    Precedent

    After meeting Kim Jong Un, Trump calls the exercises provocative and costly. The Pentagon suspends the Freedom Guardian drill.

Scenarios

1

Spring 2027 Freedom Shield drill runs at reduced scale

Likely Resolves by May 31, 2027

Discussed by: Defense News, The Korea Herald, retired officers such as Mark Montgomery

The order shapes the next major exercise, Freedom Shield, usually held in spring. If the Pentagon carries out Trump's direction, that drill runs with fewer field-training events and less live coordination than in past years. This is the clearest near-term test of whether the cutback is lasting policy or a one-off signal.

2

Trump and Kim hold a new meeting

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: CNN, Al Jazeera, Seoul's presidential office

Trump frames the cutback partly as an opening to Pyongyang, and Lee's government hopes it leads to talks. If North Korea responds, Trump and Kim could meet or announce direct negotiations. Skeptics note Kim has expanded his missile program and tied himself to Russia, giving him less reason to bargain than in 2018.

3

Pentagon restores drills to full scale

Possible Resolves by Aug 31, 2027

Discussed by: Defense analysts warning about readiness; The Bulwark

Pushback from Congress, the Pentagon, and Seoul could blunt the order. If talks with Pyongyang stall or North Korea tests a weapon, the administration may quietly restore the exercises to their earlier size, as happened when 2018 diplomacy faded. Critics inside the defense establishment favor this path.

4

South Korea locks in an earlier date to retake wartime operational control

Possible Resolves by Oct 31, 2026

Discussed by: The Korea Herald, The Korea Times, President Lee Jae Myung's office

Lee wants South Korea to command its own forces in wartime, a role the U.S. has held since the Korean War. His government is pushing to set a firm date, possibly 2027 or 2028 rather than 2030, at the October Security Consultative Meeting with Washington. Trump's drill cutback complicates this because the joint training used to certify Korean readiness is now smaller.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1992

Team Spirit exercise halted (1992)

Washington and Seoul canceled the large Team Spirit drill as an incentive during early nuclear talks with North Korea. Pyongyang had demanded the exercise end.

Then

North Korea allowed some inspections of its nuclear sites. The gesture briefly eased tensions on the peninsula.

Now

The drill was revived in 1993 when inspections stalled, feeding a crisis that led to the 1994 Agreed Framework nuclear deal.

Why this matters now

It shows a long pattern: cutting drills to coax North Korea works only as long as the diplomacy behind it holds.

June 2018

Singapore summit exercise suspension (2018)

After meeting Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Trump called joint drills provocative and costly. Defense Secretary James Mattis suspended the Freedom Guardian exercise and two Marine training events.

Then

Major exercises paused as the U.S. and North Korea pursued talks. Pyongyang held off on nuclear and long-range missile tests for a time.

Now

Talks collapsed after the 2019 Hanoi summit. Drills gradually resumed, though often at reduced scale, and North Korea returned to testing.

Why this matters now

It is the direct model for the 2026 order: same rationale, same leader, same tradeoff between diplomacy and readiness.

Sources

(23)
+17
NBC News NPR The Washington Post CNN Defense News The Korea Herald Al Jazeera UPI NK News CNBC The Korea Times Task & Purpose The Hill CNN Stars and Stripes Korea JoongAng Daily PBS NewsHour Xinhua Al Jazeera CNN The Hill The Korea Herald CNN