Trump Wants Kim’s Friendship, South Korea Faces the Risk

South Korea’s annual military exercises with the United States ended abruptly on Friday after the US ordered a substantial reduction in the programme, days after President Donald Trump criticised the drills as costly and “inappropriate and hostile” towards North Korea.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which involve 18,000 South Korean troops and 11 other American ally nations, were stopped with only half of the planned schedule completed. The decision came after Trump instructed the Pentagon to scale down the drill.

The abrupt change caught Seoul’s allies off guard. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the move reflected mutual agreement, but he also acknowledged that officials in South Korea had not been informed in advance of Trump’s intention to reduce the exercise.

The development is likely to worry other partners in the region, including Taiwan and Japan, which have relied on US security guarantees. It also adds to uncertainty around what Trump may do next with the US military presence in Asia.

Alliance, Consultations and South Korea’s Concerns

Seoul has traditionally viewed the annual drills as central to the alliance, demonstrating US commitment to defend South Korea against Pyongyang. While the exercises have sometimes been scaled down or suspended to encourage dialogue with North Korea, Trump’s unilateral and sudden action has shaken South Korean confidence in the reliability of the alliance, according to Jo Bee-yun, a senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council.

There is concern that the Trump administration could go further, including drawing down the 27,000 US troops stationed in South Korea, or reversing the longstanding policy of seeking North Korea’s denuclearisation without consulting Seoul.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because they did not sign a peace treaty after the Korean War. Reunification has remained a key element of North Korea’s ideology, though Kim Jong Un abandoned the goal in 2024.

Even as diplomacy efforts fluctuate, threats against South Korea have continued. North Korea launched ballistic missiles towards Japan days before the drills were due to start and repeated warnings that it could use nuclear weapons if the country was threatened. More missiles were launched on Thursday.

Security Meets Trade Pressure

Beyond security, Trump’s approach has increasingly connected military and economic issues. He has criticised South Korea for not joining US action against Iran and has also raised complaints about South Korea’s commercial and financial commitments.

US officials have said South Korea’s $1bn (£734m) annual spending to host US troops is insufficient, that it has been slow to invest the $350bn it pledged, and that it discriminates against American companies operating in the country.

As trade disputes move into the national security sphere, some analysts have argued that South Korea may need to reduce its reliance on the United States.

Cheong Seong-chang, vice-president at the Sejong Institute and a proponent of South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons, said Seoul should keep the alliance but also take steps to build an independent nuclear deterrent. He said that position reflects a debate over whether South Korea should acquire a bomb.

Public support for such a move is reported to be strong, but the government has argued that acquiring nuclear weapons is unnecessary and could harm South Korea’s broader network of alliances. That view could shift if the United States withdraws further from Asia, according to analysts cited in the discussion.

South Korea Tries To Manage the Fallout

South Korea’s leadership has sought to frame Trump’s decision as a step towards peace. President Lee Jae Myung praised Trump in a post on X, saying the decision was bold and reflected deep consideration to achieve peace. Lee also pledged to increase defence spending and said South Korea agrees it should take responsibility for its own security.

Trump has said he expects to meet Kim Jong Un later this year, while also claiming he has a “great relationship” with Kim, telling reporters on Wednesday: “He likes me”. Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister, said she knew nothing about Trump’s claim that her brother had contacted him and said it “must be the only thing I am unaware of” in foreign policy. She also reiterated that North Korea would never give up its nuclear weapons and said the scaling down of the drills did not merit her country’s interest or comment, adding it does not change their “hostile and offensive nature”, according to state media.

Experts say another summit is unlikely unless Trump is prepared to publicly accept North Korea as a nuclear state. They point to Kim’s strengthening ties with Russia and China, which may reduce incentives for further concessions.

The reduction in drills is seen as a major concession for North Korea and also for Beijing, which views the exercises as a threat. Jo Bee-yun said South Korea has limited options to defend itself against North Korea, making the US alliance a matter of life and death.

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21 August 2026

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