Trump orders reduction in US-South Korea military drills
The US president has directed the Pentagon to cut back joint exercises with South Korea, drawing criticism from lawmakers who say the move weakens deterrence against North Korea.
Donald Trump has ordered the US military to reduce joint drills with South Korea, according to reports published on Monday. The decision affects exercises long used by Washington and Seoul to prepare for a possible conflict with North Korea.
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticised the move as a poor decision. Republican Senator Thom Tillis also objected, saying the exercises help reinforce a long-standing alliance and should not be scaled back.
The criticism comes as US and South Korean military officials have warned that North Korea is gaining battlefield experience through its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. They have said that cooperation is helping Pyongyang learn new tactics, including the use of drones.
South Korea has hosted regular joint military exercises with the United States for decades as part of the allies’ deterrence posture on the Korean peninsula.
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