Trump Orders Reduction of US South Korea Military Exercises Amid North Korea and Iran Tensions
10 sources across 8 countries · 2 of them are linked to a state
Who reported this
- Yonhap
- The Korea Herald
- Associated Press
- Wall Street Journal
- Politico Europe
- South China Morning Post
- Telex
- Al Jazeera
- Business Day
- Taipei Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with South Korea. The drills, which began on August 17, were originally scheduled to run until August 27 but will now end on August 21. The reduction includes the cancellation of the second phase of the exercise, which was expected to involve a simulated counteroffensive and the encirclement of Pyongyang. The Pentagon stated that the changes would preserve essential readiness and cause no degradation to US training objectives.
President Trump announced the decision via social media, describing the exercises as costly and a hostile signal to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom he claims to have a very good relationship. Trump also linked the decision to South Korea's refusal to join the US and Israel in the war against Iran. In response, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed respect for Trump's decision, stating that he shares the commitment to create conditions for dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee also reiterated South Korea's willingness to contribute to international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
North Korea's reaction was mixed. State media called the drills an open threat, while Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, dismissed the scaling back as a meaningless goodwill measure. Meanwhile, the move has caused political friction in Seoul. Opposition leader Jang Dong hyeok criticized President Lee for praising the decision, calling it a denial of reality and suggesting that the cut was a result of South Korea's reluctance to assist in the Iran conflict.
Some analysts suggest the timing of the order may be related to the redeployment of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln. This move temporarily leaves the western Pacific without a US aircraft carrier, potentially limiting the military resources available for the exercises.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets highlighted the internal South Korean political divide and the potential for the move to facilitate diplomatic dialogue with North Korea.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the broader strategic implications for regional alliances and the potential for increased self reliance among Asian allies.
- Centre-right
- These outlets emphasized the potential weakening of deterrence and the transactional nature of the US relationship with its allies.
Sources
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Alarm in South Korea as Iran dispute with Trump shakes a 72-year alliance
- Centre Associated Press: North Korea shrugs off Trump's scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing - AP News
- Centre-right Business Day: US, South Korea cut joint military drills amid Trump order
- Centre Politico Europe: Trump’s snub of South Korea sends region scrambling
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: US drill cuts threaten South Korea’s wartime command plans
- Centre-left Taipei Times: US and S Korea cut drills short after Trump comments
- Centre-left Taipei Times: In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why is Seoul so uneasy?
- Centre Telex: Trump surprised the world again, it is still being speculated why he cancelled the joint military exercise with South Korea
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: Lee says respects Trump's decision to promote dialogue with NK through scaled-back military exercises
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: Lee backs Trump’s N. Korea outreach, even if it means cutting allied drills
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: [Wang Son-taek] What is really behind Trump’s Korea drill cut?
- Centre-right Wall Street Journal: Opinion | Pyongyang’s Threat Rises, With an Assist From Trump
- Centre Yonhap: Opposition leader blasts Lee's praise of Trump's decision to reduce S. Korea-U.S. drills
- Centre Yonhap: Lee says respects Trump's decision to promote dialogue with N.K. through scaled-back military exercises
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.