Trump says US scaling back military drills with South Korea

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said he was "not happy" about US participation in joint military exercises with close ally South Korea and is scaling back the drills aimed at deterring North Korea that start Monday.

"These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful," Trump said Sunday on his Truth Social platform, also mentioning his "very good relationship" with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

He said he had ordered his secretary of defense to "substantially reduce" the exercises with South Korea. — Agence France Presse