The president cites his relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as the reason for the smaller military exercise.
President Donald Trump ordered on Sunday that the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military drills with South Korea be reduced in scope. The annual exercises began on Monday.
President Trump stated, “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.”
The president continued, “Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” President Trump also mentioned the “somewhat unrelated” decline of the invitation he gave the President of South Korea to join in the U.S. effort to denuclearize the Islamic Republic of Iran.
U.S. Forces Korea stated the joint exercise “aims to build understanding between Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, the United Nations Command, and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), ROK government agency, ensuring their ability to fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for President Trump as the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.
- For Secretary Hegseth and commanding officials in the American military as they oversee training and drills.
Sources: UPI News, Daily Wire, U.S. Forces Korea, Army Times
