Trump Says He’s Curtailing Drills With South Korea

Summary

President Trump said he told the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing the cost of the drills and the signal they send to North Korea. Bloomberg's Jon Herskovitz explains that the drills have been a cornerstone of the US-South Korea security arrangement for 70 years and are essential for military preparedness against a North Korean attack. He notes that a previous curtailment to support nuclear talks did not help those talks.

• Trump says he directed the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military drills with South Korea.
• The president cited drill costs and the signal sent to North Korea as reasons.
• Jon Herskovitz says the exercises have underpinned US-South Korea security for decades.
• The drills help US and South Korean forces coordinate in the event of a North Korean attack.
• North Korea is described as having hundreds to thousands of missiles and artillery shells aimed at South Korea.
• Trump previously curtailed drills during nuclear talks with North Korea, which did not advance those talks.
• The change could weaken US regional security preparedness and command readiness.