Trump Orders Reduction in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea Amid North Korean Ties
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President Trump ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth “to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises” with South Korea the day before they were set to begin, “based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea,” he said in a post on Truth Social. Trump also cited the cost of the exercises and the fact that they “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. He also cited South Korea’s reluctance to assist the U.S. in its war with Iran.
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CNBC"Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!" Trump wrote. Trump added that he recently asked South Korea's president to join the U.S. in its efforts to denuclearize Iran, "and they said, 'No thanks!'"
Financial TimesTrump says US will scale back military drills with South Korea President claims the joint exercises send a ‘hostile’ message to North Korea
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The 11 days of exercises involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers were designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.
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FortuneThe 11 days of exercises involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers were designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.
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North Korea on Friday threatened unspecified stern steps against the U.S. and South Korea, describing their military drills as "a rehearsal for an aggressive war" that are triggering greater instability in the region.
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FortuneNorth Korea’s Foreign Ministry has called the U.S.-South Korean training “a rehearsal for an aggressive war” that is triggering a different level of instability in the region.
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U.S. and South Korean forces were expected to practice joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and maneuver, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of prepositioned military equipment, according to the U.S. military.
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CNBCU.S. and South Korean forces were expected to practice joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and maneuver, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of prepositioned military equipment, according to the U.S. military.
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Trump met with the reclusive North Korean leader three times during his first term to discuss the country's nuclear program, most recently in 2019. Since returning to office, Trump has expressed interest in continuing those discussions.
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FortuneTrump met with the reclusive North Korean leader three times during his first term to discuss the country’s nuclear program, most recently in 2019. Since returning to office, Trump has expressed interest in continuing those discussions.
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Trump's announcement came a day after he posted a photo of himself standing next to North Korea's Kim, writing that the two leaders get along great "despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture."
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FortuneA day earlier, Trump posted a photo of himself standing next to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, writing that the two leaders get along great “despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture.”
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“We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should,” Trump told reporters after his 2018 meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
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CNBC"We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should," Trump told reporters after his 2018 meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
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01 Fortune Good morning. On Fortune’s radar today: Fortune’sradar today: Trump sides with Kim Jong Un on Pacific war exercises. Markets: buoyant. Amazon’s Prime Day is now so big it exerts a macroeconomic effect all on its own. The world’s chokepoints, ranked by risk. The increasing pace of tech layoffs. Selena Gomez, alleged venture-capital villain.
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