On August 17, 2026, South Korea's Segye Ilbo reported that U.S. President Donald Trump on the 16th instructed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the scale of the US-South Korea joint military exercises, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean Workers' Party Chairman Kim Jong Un.

According to the article, Trump posted on his SNS "Truth Social," "Given that Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea and I have a very good relationship, I am not pleased that the United States has agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea."

Furthermore, he asserted that the joint military exercises are not only "costly" but also "send an inappropriate and hostile signal" to a country that has not threatened the U.S. and has shown respect to the U.S. He then reportedly instructed Secretary of Defense Hegseth to "significantly reduce" the scale of the exercises, stating that it was too late to cancel them completely.

These remarks were made just ahead of the US-South Korea joint military exercise "Ulchi Freedom Shield," scheduled from the 17th to the 27th. As usual, approximately 18,000 South Korean soldiers are expected to participate from the South Korean side. This exercise also anticipates responses to evolving military threats in recent years, such as North Korean drones, GPS jamming, and cyberattacks.

The article stated that "Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with the South Korean side in this post," reporting that Trump claimed he asked President Lee Jae-myung if he intended to participate in efforts for Iran's denuclearization, and "received a response from the South Korean side saying 'we decline'."

Regarding this, South Korean netizens voiced opinions such as: "This must be revenge for South Korea refusing to cooperate on the Iran issue," "This renders the US-South Korea alliance meaningless," "South Korea is being too disregarded," "If military exercises are to be reduced, then I hope diplomacy and information sharing will be strengthened instead," and "I don't really think this will lead to a reduction in tensions between South Korea and North Korea."

Also, comments like "It's not surprising, as Trump has long taken issue with the cost of the joint exercises," "It's concerning that the U.S. seems to prioritize a personal relationship with Kim Jong Un over its alliance with South Korea," "President Trump changes everything on his own whim," "I'm worried about what will happen to future US-South Korea relations," and "We need to be able to communicate properly with President Trump" were also seen. (Translation/Editing by Higuchi)