Trump Cuts South Korea Drills Amid Denuclearization Push | California News

Trump shocks allies by ordering a major cutback in U.S.-South Korea military drills, calling them costly and provocative — despite their purpose of deterring North Korea. He frames the move as a diplomatic gesture toward Pyongyang’s “respectful” behavior during his presidency, while also revealing South Korea declined his request to join U.S. efforts to denuclearize Iran — though he insists the two decisions aren’t directly linked. The drills, which involve thousands of troops and are meant to strengthen regional security, have long been viewed by North Korea as war rehearsals, triggering its own weapons tests and domestic propaganda. Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the exercises as provocative since his first term, continues to pursue dialogue with Kim Jong Un — even sharing recent photos of their meetings — signaling his belief in a potential breakthrough with the hermit kingdom. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/279e458da5f5c03e