President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to significantly scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, and he's not exactly mincing words about why. In a Sunday post on Truth Social, Trump said he was "not happy" the U.S. had agreed to participate in the drills, calling them costly and accusing them of sending a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea.

"Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump wrote.

He noted that the exercises were "not only costly," with the U.S. footing much of the bill, but also "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to Pyongyang. While it was too late to cancel the current drills, Trump said he had instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" them going forward.

Trump also pointed to a diplomatic snub from Seoul. "I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, 'No thanks!'" he wrote.

Ulchi Freedom Shield Kicks Off as Scheduled

Despite the president's comments, the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday as planned and are set to run through Aug. 27. About 18,000 South Korean troops are participating, according to Reuters. The drills include training for drone, cyber, and GPS-related threats.

Kelly Calls the Move 'Shortsighted'

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) was quick to push back, warning that reducing the exercises could undermine the allies' ability to defend against North Korea. "North and South Korea are still technically at war," Kelly said in a post on X. "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 Kim Ties and North Korea's Arsenal

This isn't the first time Trump has touted his rapport with Kim. He's previously described their relationship as unusually close, even saying Kim "fell in love" with him. He's also revealed that the "Little Rocket Man" nickname he used for Kim was inspired by Elton John's song "Rocket Man."

But North Korea's weapons program continues to advance. Earlier this year, Kim oversaw a test of an advanced solid-fuel rocket engine as part of efforts to strengthen the country's long-range, nuclear-capable arsenal. Pyongyang has repeatedly criticized U.S.-South Korea military drills as a "provocative and aggressive" war rehearsal.

Last year, Trump also pushed for the U.S. to resume full-scale nuclear weapons testing, arguing America needed to keep pace with Russia and China.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.