Donald Trump Cites ‘Good Ties’ With Kim Jong Un, Orders Major Cut In US-South Korea Military Drills

Washington: US President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump cited his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as the reason behind this. He also said that these military exercises cost America a lot and they send a wrong and hostile signal to North Korea.

Trump informed about his decision through a social media post on Sunday. He also expressed displeasure over South Korea's lack of cooperation in US efforts related to Iran. According to Trump, he had asked South Korea to join the US effort to free Iran from nuclear weapons, but Seoul did not show interest in it.

Will Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise run from 17th to 27th August?

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise between the US and South Korea is scheduled from August 17 to August 27. About 18 thousand South Korean soldiers are participating in this. The exercise also includes preparation to deal with modern war situations such as intercepting drone attacks, disrupting GPS signals and cyber attacks.

The US and South Korea call the exercise defensive and say its purpose is to strengthen military preparedness to deal with any potential crisis in the region. However, North Korea has long described these joint exercises as preparation for an attack against it.

Where did North Korea get war experience?

According to US military officials, North Korea's participation in the Russia-Ukraine war has given its troops experience in real combat conditions. This has raised concerns about its experience in capabilities like drones, electronic warfare and cyber operations. For this reason, many new scenarios have been included in this year's exercise keeping in mind the changing methods of war.

Has North Korea already opposed the exercise?

North Korea has consistently criticised military exercises by the US and South Korea. Recently, he had warned of a strong reaction, calling the joint exercise a preparation for an aggressive war. Apart from this, North Korea also tested ballistic missiles in August, which has increased concerns about tension in the Korean Peninsula.

Trump's order has come at a time when there is speculation about possible diplomatic talks between America and North Korea. Trump has earlier also described his relations with Kim Jong Un as positive. However, the detailed information to what extent the practice will be changed after this order from the Pentagon has not been revealed yet.