What Happened
Trump Cites Cost and Hostility to North Korea in Exercise Reduction
The US military will reduce its participation in a joint exercise with South Korea due to the cost and the message it sends to North Korea, according to a social media post by US President Donald Trump. The exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, is a large-scale annual event that involves live-fire events, close air support, and special operations forces. The decision has been met with criticism from lawmakers, who argue that it undermines the US-South Korea military relationship and could impact the ability of the US to defend its ally against North Korean aggression. The announcement was first reported by Breaking Defense.