President Lee Jae Myung praises Donald Trump for the bold decision to substantially reduce the Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises.
President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea praised Donald Trump for his decision to substantially reduce the Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises, calling it a bold move aimed at achieving peace. The administration announced the reduction of the drills, which were halted with only half of the scheduled program complete, after President Trump described the administration's actions as inappropriate and hostile toward North Korea. While Seoul's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun admitted that officials were not informed of the intent to scale down the exercises in advance, the move has rattled regional allies like Japan and Taiwan. The administration also expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea's refusal to join the war in Iran and its spending on hosting US troops. President Lee Jae Myung pledged to increase South Korea's defense spending and agreed with the administration's view that the country should be responsible for its own security. Despite the sudden nature of the previous decision, Seoul continues to make the best of the administration's actions to maintain its alliance with the US.