# Trump scales down war games with South Korea: Why it matters

https://mins.news/en/item/24165

- Al Jazeera, 2026-08-17 12:20 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/17/trump-scales-down-war-games-with-south-korea-why-it-matters?traffic_source=rss

> Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with South Korea, saying they are costly, hostile to North Korea and inappropriate given his good relationship with Kim Jong Un. He also cited Seoul’s refusal to support the US in its war on Iran. The drills were due to run from August 17 to 27.

## Stories

- [US–North Korea Relations and North Korea Policy](https://mins.news/en/topic/us-north-korea-relations) — Markdown: https://mins.news/en/topic/us-north-korea-relations.md

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