South Korea says in ‘close’ consultation with US after Trump orders reduction in joint military drills

“Based on the strong South Korea-US alliance, our government has been continuing coordination with the US side on combined exercises and drills between South Korea and the US,” South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said, according to Yonhap.

The two sides will “continue such coordination in the future,” he added.

His remarks came after Trump asked US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reduce the scale of Ulchi Freedom Shield, an annual joint military exercise that began Monday and is scheduled to run through Aug. 27.

Trump cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whose country has criticized such military exercises as preparations for war.

The US president also said Kim, with whom he held three meetings during his first term, had responded to his request for talks.

Following Trump’s order, Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of US forces stationed in South Korea, visited the country’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday, reportedly for talks with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul.

No details about Brunson’s visit were available at the time of publication.

Trump on Monday put the number of US troops in South Korea at 39,000 while criticizing Seoul for not supporting Washington’s military operation against Iran.

“We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you (South Korea) from Kim Jong Un, your next-door neighbor, and you're not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran? That's strange,” Trump said.

Wi, however, said Seoul has also been “reviewing options for making practical contributions to such efforts, taking into consideration the country's defense posture on the Korean Peninsula and relevant domestic legal procedures.”

Seoul has been “actively participating in international discussions aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz from the start, as well as global non-proliferation efforts,” he added.