South Korean President Lee Jae Myung renewed Seoul's push to reclaim wartime operational control of its military after President Trump ordered a substantial cut to joint U.S.-South Korea drills.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called Tuesday for stronger independent military capabilities, pressing ahead with Seoul's long-held goal of reclaiming wartime operational control of its forces from the United States. The push came just days after President Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, saying the costly drills sent a hostile signal to a North Korea that has been unthreatening and respectful. Lee framed stronger self-defense and the U.S.-South Korea alliance as mutually reinforcing rather than competing priorities.
Trump directed War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday night to substantially reduce U.S. involvement in the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began Monday and was scheduled to run 10 days through August 27. Trump said the nuclear-armed North has been unthreatening and respectful, and that he has a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, who has responded to his outreach.
U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson visited South Korea's defense ministry Tuesday to discuss the scaled-back drills. Korean media reported the exercise was cut roughly in half, with the counterattack phase and most of 14 planned field training events canceled. Roughly 18,000 South Korean troops were set to take part, alongside U.S. forces and personnel from 11 of the 18 member states of the United Nations Command.
Lee, in a cabinet meeting Tuesday, said Seoul should proceed without disruption with the planned transfer of wartime operational control, known as Opcon, during his term, which runs through 2030. Wartime authority over South Korean forces has rested with an American four-star general heading the Combined Forces Command since the 1953 armistice. Seoul regained peacetime control of its own military in 1994, but the wartime handover has been delayed for more than two decades over readiness questions.
This week's drills were meant to help certify South Korea's readiness for the transfer, a process Lee has pushed to accelerate since taking office. He also called for faster progress on a nuclear-powered submarine program and for developing officers capable of integrated operations, saying the country must be prepared for a worst-case scenario even as peace remains the top priority.
Lee described the exercises as purely defensive, saying they were not intended to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the peninsula. A strong alliance makes the foundation of security stronger, and strengthening our own capabilities increases our value and necessity as an ally, Lee said. National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Seoul remains in close consultation with Washington and will continue coordinating on combined exercises and drills.
North Korea, meanwhile, denounced the exercises anyway. State media called Washington and Seoul warmongers and said Pyongyang would continue exercising its right to self-defense, a reminder that even a scaled-back drill draws hostility from the Kim regime. The South Korean presidential office said the purpose of the drills is not to treat a specific entity as an adversary, but to safeguard the safe and peaceful daily lives of the people.
The drill cuts mark one of Trump's most significant moves yet to reset the dynamic on the Korean Peninsula, pairing cost savings with direct outreach to Kim Jong Un. South Korea hosts roughly 28,500 U.S. troops, including at Camp Humphreys, the largest American military installation outside the United States, and the alliance itself is not in question.
Watch for whether the Opcon timeline holds through 2030, how quickly Seoul advances its submarine program, and whether Kim's response to Trump's outreach matures into real dialogue. For now, Seoul is signaling it intends to stand on its own two feet -- and that a stronger South Korea makes the alliance stronger, not weaker.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung renewed Seoul's push to reclaim wartime operational control of its military after President Trump ordered a substantial cut to joint U.S.-South Korea drills.
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