President Trump announced on Truth Social that he has instructed Defense Secretary Mark Esper to “drastically reduce” the upcoming US–South Korea joint exercises, arguing they send an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea despite his “very good” personal relationship with Kim Jong Un.

Trump’s post on Saturday reiterated that he and Kim “get along extremely well” and expressed surprise that the United States continues to shoulder most of the cost for large-scale drills with Seoul. “These exercises are expensive,” he wrote, “and during my term they send a hostile signal to a country that has shown no threat and has been courteous to us.” He added, however, that it was “too late” to cancel the training outright and that he had opted instead to scale it back.

Earlier this week, Trump also shared photos from his impromptu meeting with Kim at Panmunjom, underscoring the strength of their rapport. In contrast, he voiced displeasure with South Korea’s recent refusal to participate in a US-led effort to press Iran toward denuclearization, noting that President Moon Jae-in had declined when asked.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises between US and South Korean forces are scheduled to run from July 17 to 27. This year’s iteration will involve roughly 18,000 South Korean troops—about the same level as in past years—and feature 14 battalion-level or higher field training exercises, down from 17 such events during last year’s UFS, which staged a total of 22 company-level or larger drills.