Trump says US to scale back military drills with South Korea after it stayed out of Iran war

Donald Trump has said the US will “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday evening.

Trump noted in his post that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the “denuclearisation” of Iran.

Trump has bucked American foreign policy norms with North Korea’s leader, whom he last visited in person in 2019.

The US and South Korea are due to start their regular military exercises on Monday.

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