US CANCELS JOINT SOUTH KOREA MARINE EXERCISE OVER IRAN WAR CONSTRAINTS

South Korea announced on Monday that the United States has cancelled the Ssangyong amphibious landing exercise, a large biennial joint military drill scheduled for next month. Han Seung-jeon, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps, told reporters that the US Marine Corps formally notified South Korean forces in June that its ability to deploy forces during the exercise would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East. The Ssangyong drills involve marine forces from both nations and are designed to strengthen combined operations, typically involving warships, aircraft and ground forces rehearsing amphibious landings. Seoul and Washington were continuing consultations on resuming the exercise, Han said, without providing further details.

The cancellation follows a separate order from US President Donald Trump last week to scale down the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises from 11 days to five days. Trump cited the high cost of the drills and stated they sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the exercises were unwarranted given that North Korea, under its leader Kim Jong Un, had been "unthreatening and respectful" during his presidency. Trump has signalled an intention to revive the relationship he developed with Kim during his first term and stated he plans to meet with him later this year.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on South Korea's announcement. The cancellations mark a significant reduction in joint US-South Korean military preparedness exercises. Trump has previously characterised the drills as costly and counterproductive to his diplomatic approach to North Korea.