SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� South Korea’s president said Tuesday a solid alliance with the U.S. strengthens the foundation of national security, as many South Koreans were baffled and concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump’s to 鈥渟ubstantially reduce鈥� joint military exercises.
Trump made the surprise announcement in a social media post just before U.S. and South Korean soldiers began Monday’s annual exercises, which are largely designed to sharpen readiness against North Korean threats.
Trump cited what he said was good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. .
Trump鈥檚 move was apparently taken without consultations with South Korea and meant to reach out to Kim, deepening concerns about the reliability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance forged in the turmoil of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Confidence in the U.S. has already eroded among many South Koreans because of Trump’s tariff war and last year’s in the U.S. state of Georgia that led to the detainment of hundreds of South Korean workers.
Trump’s announcement 鈥渞eveals the stark reality of a faltering Korea-U.S. alliance, fueling public anxiety,鈥� South Korea’s Hankook Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. 鈥淚t’s absurd that the U.S. appears to treat North Korea more respectfully than its ally South Korea.鈥�
South Korean leader calls for solid US alliance
In a regular Cabinet meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed the importance of a firm military alliance with the U.S., saying that 鈥渘ational security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid.鈥�
鈥淲hen we build up our strengths, our value and importance as an ally will further grow,鈥� said Lee, a liberal who has called for a stronger, defense posture.
It was unclear which parts of the 11-day South Korea-U.S. exercises were being downsized. The South Korean and U.S. militaries earlier said their drills this year would be similar in scale to previous years and incorporate lessens from recent conflicts such as North Korea鈥檚 in the Russia-Ukraine front. They also said the drills are defensive in nature.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused South Korea and the U.S. of plotting this year and vowed to respond with 鈥渁 new level of a deterrent.鈥�
Prosects unclear for reengagement between Trump and Kim
Kim has shunned any talks with the U.S. and South Korea since his earlier high-profile diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019.
Experts say Kim won鈥檛 likely embrace Trump鈥檚 overture and return to talks anytime soon unless he is promised bigger U.S. concessions. Kim has boosted his military and diplomatic credentials in recent years by enlarging his nuclear arsenal and aligning with Russia over its .
on Monday expressed hopes that a 鈥渇riendly relationship鈥� between Trump and Kim would lead to 鈥渕eaningful dialogue鈥� between their countries to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. That invited a backlash from the conservative opposition, which criticized Lee鈥檚 government for allegedly prioritizing resumption of Kim-Trump diplomacy over security concerns.
鈥淪outh Korea鈥檚 security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations,鈥� Park Chung-kwon, a spokesperson for the main conservative opposition People Power Party, said in a statement.
A weakening of the could shake South Korea鈥檚 national security as it has no nuclear weapons and is under the so-called U.S. 鈥渘uclear umbrella鈥� protection, which guarantees a devastating American response in the event of an attack on its ally by nuclear-armed North Korea. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.
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 鈥渟end a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile鈥� to North Korea, which he said 鈥渉as been unthreatening and respectful鈥� during his time in the White House. Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea would join the U.S. in the 鈥渄enuclearization鈥� of Iran, 鈥渁nd they said, 鈥楴o thanks!鈥欌��
Lee’s office said South Korea and the U.S. are closely discussing practical and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of navigation in the .
鈥淭rump 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鈥檛 going well,鈥� said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
鈥淪outh 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,鈥� Easley said.
A recent survey jointly conducted by South Korea鈥檚 JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and the East Asia Institute, a Seoul-based research group, showed 46.4% of respondents in South Korea viewed the U.S. as 鈥渘ot a trustworthy partner鈥� while 45.4% called it 鈥渢rustworthy.鈥�
It was the first time that more Koreans said they could not trust the U.S. than said they could since the East Asia Institute began asking the question in 2017, JoongAng Ilbo reported.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
