'39k soldiers guarding you from Kim': Trump cuts S Korea military drills over Iran
President Donald Trump criticized South Korea for declining to assist in US military operations against Iran while the US maintains a significant troop presence in the region. Trump questioned the financial burden of US defense commitments to allies like South Korea and NATO.
Why it matters
The comments signal a potential shift in US foreign policy toward isolationism and a transactional approach to international security alliances.
US president Donald Trump has put fresh strain on Washington’s security ties with Seoul, saying South Korean president Lee Jae Myung declined a request to assist the US in its military operation against Iran. Trump also questioned the cost of America’s defence commitments to South Korea.Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had recently spoken with Lee and asked whether South Korea would “give us a little hand” with Iran, while stressing that Washington did not need assistance.“I called him. I said, ‘Would you like to give us a little hand? We don’t need help with Iran, but if you’d like, give us a hand with Iran.’ He said, ‘No thanks,’” Trump said.Trump then pointed to the US military presence in South Korea and its role in deterring North Korea. “I said, ‘Wait a minute.
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