South Korea announced on Monday (August 24) that the United States has canceled large‑scale joint landing exercises planned for next month because deployment capabilities for American forces are limited by the conflict in Iran.
The cancellation came after US President Donald Trump ordered a reduction of the annual joint exercises Ulchi Freedom Shield last week.
The biennial Ssangyong exercises typically involve the marine corps of South Korea and the US. Their goal is to enhance the two countries’ ability to conduct joint operations, including practicing landings with ships, aviation and ground forces.
On the president’s orders, the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were cut from 11 to 5 days. He explained that the high cost and the perception that they send an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea were the reasons, while emphasizing his relationship with its leader Kim Jong Un.
Reason for cancellation and consultations
“The US Marine Corps officially informed our forces in June that its capabilities for deploying forces during this year’s Ssangyong exercises would be limited due to the situation in the Middle East”, Han Seung-jun, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps, told journalists at a briefing.
He added that Seoul and Washington continue consultations on resuming the landing exercises, without specifying details. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Seoul’s statement.
The president’s decision last week to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield was made against the backdrop of his desire to restore relations with Kim, a relationship he first built during his initial term.
On Wednesday, the US president said it was important to “get along” with Kim, adding that Pyongyang now has 57 “very powerful” nuclear warheads. Seoul estimates North Korea possesses between 80 and 120 such warheads.
Trump and Kim met three times during the president’s first term, but Pyongyang accelerated its nuclear programs after the failure of their second summit in Hanoi in 2019, which ended without an agreement on denuclearisation.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
