South Korea Stresses US Alliance After Trump Orders Drill Cuts

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that a solid alliance with the United States underpins national security, after President Donald Trump's surprise order to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises left many South Koreans baffled and concerned.

Trump made the announcement in a social media post just before U.S. and South Korean troops began the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises Monday. He cited what he called a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran, saying Seoul told him "No thanks!" when asked to help with Iran's "denuclearization."

Trump's move appeared to come without consultation with Seoul, deepening concerns about the U.S.-South Korean alliance formed during the 1950-53 Korean War. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea and provides a "nuclear umbrella" since South Korea has no nuclear weapons of its own.

"When we build up our strengths, our value and importance as an ally will further grow," Lee said at a Cabinet meeting, calling for a stronger, self-reliant defense posture.

South Korea's Hankook Ilbo newspaper called the move evidence of "a faltering Korea-U.S. alliance, fueling public anxiety," adding it was "absurd that the U.S. appears to treat North Korea more respectfully than its ally South Korea."

It remains unclear which parts of the 11-day exercises are being scaled back. South Korean and U.S. militaries had earlier said the drills would match previous years in scale. North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused the allies of plotting more provocative drills and vowed a "new level of deterrent."

Lee's office said it hopes a friendlier Trump-Kim relationship could lead to "meaningful dialogue," a stance that drew criticism from conservative opposition spokesperson Park Chung-kwon, who said "South Korea's security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations."

Experts say Kim, who has shunned talks with the U.S. since 2019, is unlikely to return to diplomacy without bigger concessions. "Trump thinks of an alliance as an investment that should pay regular dividends," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.