Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military exercises with South Korea

Trump’s move to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills comes as he seeks to revive diplomacy with North Korea, while Seoul faces growing pressure over its security role and refusal to join US-led actions against Iran.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” 10 days of joint military exercises with ‌South Korea as they were about to get underway, citing the cost of the drills and Seoul’s refusal to take part in actions against Iran.