"These exercises are not only costly... The president said he has directed the Pentagon to scale down the exercises, citing South Korea’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Key points and original sources are listed below.

• "These exercises are not only costly... but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile," he wrote in a Truth Social post.S1

• The president said he has directed the Pentagon to scale down the exercises, citing South Korea’s refusal to join the war in Iran and his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.S2

• President Trump said Sunday that the joint military exercises with South Korea are costly and they "send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea.S3

• The president cited the cost of the drills and said he did not want to send a signal that is "totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea. He also criticized South Korea for not helping him on Iran.S4

• In a social media post, the president scolded South Korea for not helping denuclearize Iran, and also praised North Korea and its leader.S5

• by Reuters "These exercises are not only costly... but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile," he wrote in a Truth Social post. South Korea soldiers participate in an anti-terror exercise as part of Ulchi Freedom Shield 2025, on August 19, 20...S6

• A day earlier, Trump posted a photo of himself standing next to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, writing that the two leaders get along great.S7

• Trump orders reduction in U.S.-South Korea military exercisesS8