Trump made the surprise announcement about the troop drawdown in a social media post just before US and South Korean soldiers began Monday's annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.
South Korea’s president said on Tuesday that a solid alliance with the United States underpins national security, after US President Donald Trump’s abrupt order to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises left many South Koreans baffled and concerned.
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In a regular Cabinet meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed the importance of a firm military alliance with the US, saying that “national security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid.”
“When we build up our strengths, our value and importance as an ally will further grow,” said Lee, a liberal who has called for a stronger, self-reliant defence posture.
It was unclear which parts of the 11-day South Korea-US exercises were being downsized.
The South Korean and US militaries earlier said their drills this year would be similar in scale to previous years and incorporate lessons from recent conflicts such as North Korea’s battlefield experiences on the Russia-Ukraine front. They also said the drills are defensive in nature.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused South Korea and the US of plotting more provocative drills this year and vowed to respond with “a new level of a deterrent.”
Support from Tokyo
Lee’s comments were echoed by Japan’s defence minister who, on a visit to Australia on Tuesday, supported security cooperation with key defence backer Washington and neighbour Seoul.
"As Japan faces the most severe and complicated security environment in the post-war era, the cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is critical to the peace and stability of the region," Shinjiro Koizumi told journalists.
Trump made the surprise announcement about the troop drawdown in a social media post just before US and South Korean soldiers began Monday's annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which are largely designed to sharpen readiness against North Korean threats.
Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the US war against Iran.
Trump’s move was apparently taken without consultations with South Korea and meant to reach out to Kim, deepening concerns about the reliability of the US-South Korean alliance forged in the turmoil of the Korean War.
A weakening of the US defence commitment could shake South Korea’s national security as it has no nuclear weapons and is under the US “nuclear umbrella” protection, which guarantees a devastating American response in the event of an attack on its ally by nuclear-armed North Korea.
The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country's defences, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
Confidence in the US has already eroded among many South Koreans because of Trump's tariff war and last year's immigration raid in the US state of Georgia that led to the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers.
Trump's announcement “reveals the stark reality of a faltering Korea-US alliance, fuelling public anxiety,” South Korea's Hankook Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial on Tuesday.
“It's absurd that the US appears to treat North Korea more respectfully than its ally South Korea.”
Prospects unclear for reengagement between Trump and Kim
Trump on Monday insisted he was making the situation "much safer" through his ties with the North's Kim Jong-un, whom he met three times in his first term but has yet to encounter since his return to the White House.
He also said his ties with Kim have reduced tensions.
"Kim Jong-un has always treated me with great respect," Trump said. "I understand him. He understands me."
Kim has shunned any talks with the US and South Korea since his earlier high-profile diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019.
Experts say Kim likely won’t embrace Trump’s overtures and return to talks anytime soon unless he is promised bigger US concessions.
Kim has boosted his military and diplomatic credentials in recent years by enlarging his nuclear arsenal and aligning with Russia over its war against Ukraine.
Lee’s presidential office on Monday expressed hopes that a “friendly relationship” between Trump and Kim would lead to “meaningful dialogue” between their countries to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
That invited a backlash from conservatives, who criticised Lee’s government for allegedly prioritising resumption of Kim-Trump diplomacy over security concerns.
“South Korea’s security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations,” Park Chung-kwon, a spokesperson for the main conservative opposition People Power Party, said in a statement.
Doubts about US alliance grow in South Korea
In his social media post, Trump said the military exercises with South Korea are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House.
Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea would join the US in the “denuclearisation” of Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’”
Lee's office said South Korea and the US are closely discussing practical and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Trump thinks of an alliance as an investment that should pay regular dividends, or a rainy-day fund he can withdraw from when another project isn’t going well,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
“South Korean leaders understand that relations with the Trump administration will be a constant renegotiation linking economic and security issues. Seoul is thus cautiously responding to recent developments within that framework,” Easley said.