Trump scales back joint military drills with South Korea

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help denuclearise Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

The 11-day exercises, involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers, were designed to boost readiness against North Korean threats.

Trump said on social media during Sunday, local time, that the exercises slated to begin this week were costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful”. The president added that he recently asked South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung to join the US in its efforts to denuclearise Iran, to which Lee declined.

The joint training comes days after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing activities that the United Nations bans. Experts say Kim likely believes a bigger weapons arsenal would increase his chances of wresting more concessions from the US in future negotiations.

This is not the first time Trump has sought to end the exercises. During his first term, he also made a surprise announcement calling the war games “provocative.”