Trump Snubs Seoul, Courts Kim
Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in joint U.S.–South Korean military exercises after Seoul refused to join actions against Iran, while pointedly invoking his “very good relationship” with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un—a striking rebuke to a treaty ally and overture to an adversary.
For decades, the annual U.S.–South Korean exercises have been a visible symbol of Washington’s commitment to defend Seoul against a nuclear-armed North Korea. On Sunday, Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the drills just as they were beginning, saying they were costly and criticizing South Korea for refusing to take part in U.S. actions against Iran. He simultaneously praised his relationship with Kim Jong Un and described North Korea as comparatively unthreatening and respectful.
The move immediately raised questions about the reliability of American alliances at a moment when Washington is already heavily committed to the Middle East. South Korea is a formal treaty ally; North Korea continues to expand its nuclear and missile capabilities and has gained combat experience through its relationship with Russia. By linking allied military cooperation to Seoul’s refusal to participate in a separate war, Trump turned a long-standing security arrangement into leverage—and handed Kim a concession without any publicly announced reciprocal step from Pyongyang.
