Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea

NPR | By Anthony Kuhn

Published August 17, 2026 at 4:50 AM EDT

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back its joint military exercises with South Korea because the country declined to help with the Iran war, citing his relationship with North Korea.

Anthony Kuhn

Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea.

See stories by Anthony Kuhn

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