South Korea: US cancels major drill

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 11.28

 

South Korean soldiers practice landing at a former Ssangyong exercise, in September 2024. Photo: Ahn Young-joon/AP/TT

The US and South Korea were due to hold a major landing exercise in a few weeks, but the US has reportedly cancelled it.

The US military has announced that its forces are tied up elsewhere due to the situation in the Middle East, a spokesman for the South Korean navy told a press conference.

Another joint exercise the countries held last week was scaled down on the orders of US President Donald Trump, who cited costs and South Korea's reluctance to participate in the US war on Iran.

At the time, Trump also described the exercises as inappropriate and hostile, while speaking warmly of South Korea's arch-enemy North Korea and its dictator Kim Jong-Un.

The exercise that was supposed to be held in September is called Ssangyong and has been held every two years since 2012.