Trump wants to be friends with Kim - but South Korea could pay the price

What the report says

South Korea’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with the United States ended early on Friday, after President Donald Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the drill. According to BBC World News, the exercise involved about 18,000 South Korean troops and 11 other American ally nations, but only about half of the planned programme was completed. Trump described the drills as inappropriate, hostile to North Korea and costly for the US, a move that surprised officials in Seoul.

The report says the decision has raised concern in South Korea and among other US partners in the region, including Japan and Taiwan, which rely on American security guarantees. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun tried to frame the change as mutual, but acknowledged that officials had not known in advance that Trump intended to scale back the exercises. Analysts cited by BBC World News said the move could weaken confidence in the alliance, especially as debate grows over whether Washington might further reduce its military presence in South Korea.

The timing also matters because tensions with North Korea remain high. The North has recently tested missiles and continues to reject giving up its nuclear weapons. Trump has said he expects to meet Kim Jong Un later this year, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung praised the decision as a step toward peace while pledging higher defence spending. The BBC report says the episode reflects both the risks and opportunities in Trump’s approach to North Korea, while leaving Seoul to weigh how far it can depend on US protection.