Dorothy

Trump made the surprise announcement in a social media post just before U.S. and South Korean soldiers began Monday’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which are largely designed to sharpen readiness against North Korean threats.

Trump announced the order on social media, directing the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day exercise due to run from 17 to 27 August involving about 18,000 South Korean troops rehearsing scenarios including missile strikes, drone incursions and cyber-attacks.

The annual U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield began on Monday. An official from the South Korean Ministry of Defense told ABC News that the military exercise now underway "will be carried on as planned."

Trump’s directive came a day before what is known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day annual joint military exercise scheduled to begin Monday.

The U.S. military has said the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises reinforce "the role of the alliance as the linchpin for regional peace and security" and reaffirm "the ironclad commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea to defend their homelands." The exercises are one of the two main combined drills conducted by the South Korean and U.S. militaries annually, along with their springtime training.

Experts say Kim won’t likely embrace Trump’s overture and return to talks anytime soon unless he is promised bigger U.S. concessions. Kim has boosted his military and diplomatic credentials in recent years by enlarging his nuclear arsenal and aligning with Russia over its war against Ukraine.

North Korea threatens strong response North Korea has been pushing hard to enlarge its nuclear and missile arsenals since Kim's high-stakes diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019. Experts say Kim likely believes a bigger weapons arsenal would increase his chances for wresting more concessions from the U.S. in future negotiations.

A weakening of the U.S. defense commitment could shake South Korea’s national security as it has no nuclear weapons and is under the so-called U.S. “nuclear umbrella” protection, which guarantees a devastating American response in the event of an attack on its ally by nuclear-armed North Korea. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.

The alliance Trump is now unwinding dates to the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty signed after the Korean war armistice. Roughly 28,500 American troops remain stationed in South Korea, backed by a combined US-South Korean command structure and Washington’s pledge to extend its nuclear umbrella over Seoul.

South Korea is a longtime U.S. ally and hosts roughly 28,500 American troops. The U.S. presence on the peninsula has traditionally been intended to prevent a resumption of cross-border hostilities, with the Korean War of 1950-1953 having never officially ended.

Lee’s office said South Korea and the U.S. are closely discussing practical and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

"The South Korean government has actively participated from the outset in international discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire in Iran and restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," the ministry added.

Recent years have also seen North Korea pull closer to both Russia and Iran, putting Pyongyang in opposition to the U.S. and its allies in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Reed’s warning was echoed by Mark Kelly of Arizona, who sits on the same committee, and argued that the drills were not symbolic but the basis of the alliance’s ability to function in a crisis. “North and South Korea are still technically at war,” Kelly said. “Our ability to help defend our ally against the North Koreans is because our forces are well trained and able to coordinate with the South Koreans. Hollowing out these joint exercises is shortsighted and a mistake.”

Trump’s order to scale back operations also follows a fresh surge in weapons testing by Pyongyang, which conducted two ballistic missile launches within six days this month.