US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea, citing in a post on truth social, his very good relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the cost of such exercises, and South Korea's recent refusal to support the US in Iran.
USSC Research Fellow Tom Corben spoke with ABC about this development, saying there's a recalibration of the US-ROK defence relationship underway, with the US seeking a broader regional role for South Korea. Corben also noted South Korea's alleged failure to follow through on its pledge to invest in US strategic sectors as another factor.