Trump on Saturday shared a throwback photograph with Kim Jong Un, joking about their "unfriendly look" while reaffirming that the two get along well. (Image credit: Truth Social) US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to “substantially” reduce planned joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s refusal to join US efforts to denuclearise Iran.

Trump said the military exercises, scheduled to begin this week, would send an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea, which he claimed had remained “unthreatening and respectful” during his presidency. In a post on social media, Trump said: " Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea.

), 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."

He added: " Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!" Trump also linked his decision to South Korea's position on Iran, saying he had recently asked the South Korean president whether Seoul wanted to join Washington's efforts to denuclearise Iran."

), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, " No thanks!" Thank you for your attention to this matter.

President DONALD J. Trump said cancelling the exercises altogether was no longer possible because preparations were already underway, but ordered Hegseth to reduce their scale.

The exercises are intended to test the allies' ability to conduct complex joint operations. The US military has said they include live-fire exercises, precision targeting, manoeuvres, a wet-gap crossing and the distribution of pre-positioned military equipment.

The drills have long been a source of tension with Pyongyang. North Korea condemned the exercises on Friday as a “rehearsal for an aggressive war” and threatened unspecified countermeasures against the US and South Korea.

The latest development also comes after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing. Earlier this month, South Korea, the US and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile by Pyongyang, its first such test since late June.