Trump’s Order to Cut Military Exercises With South Korea Carries Risks, Experts Say
New York Times · LC · trust 56/100
President Trump’s decision to curtail the military exercises came as allies question the U.S. commitment to longstanding alliances.
Listen · 6:29 min Share full article 18 American and South Korean troops participating in the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises last year. Credit... Jung Yeon-Je/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper
On President Trump’s orders, the Pentagon curtailed this year’s exercises and scaled back some live-fire components of the drill, which were already underway.
Current and former military officials say the move is likely to undercut U.S. military readiness in the region at a time when allies are questioning the Trump administration’s commitment to longstanding partnerships and countering China.
The president’s decision is also unlikely to affect the person he hoped to sway: North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-un.
The exercises, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, usually run for 11 days and have sometimes included 17,000 or more U.S. troops and 50,000 South Korean troops. In past years, the sessions have featured some computer simulations carried out in a large bunker south of the capital, Seoul, intended to check the allies’ readiness to repel a North Korean attack.
This year, some 18,000 South Korean troops were to take part in Ulchi Freedom Shield. The Pentagon has not said how many American troops had been expected to participate.
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