South Korea rejects Trump's request to join Iran war effort
2 Aug 16, 6:26 PM · 3d ago · 69 press · 1 video · 132 posts · 366 comments · 7 sources · development 2 of 7
Seoul directly rejects a US demand to join the Iran war and support denuclearization of Iran, which Trump cites as the trigger for cutting military exercises.
“This is absolutely bananas. Trump says we're suspending exercises with South Korea because of his "really good relationship" with Kim Jong-un. North Korea is nuclear-armed, threatens South Korea, and is actively helping Russia wage war against Ukraine.”
Adam Kinzinger, Former US Congressman · bluesky ↗
Donald Trump US President
Kim Jong Un North Korean leader
Kim Yo Jong North Korean official
Pete Hegseth US Defense Secretary
Mark Kelly US Senator
The whole story pressvideopostscomments this development is lit · the numbers are the story's developments · click to move
What was reported 10 claims about this development
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first by Mastodon trending, 1d ago · also UPI Top, Le Monde EN, Wall Street Journal, Stars & Stripes, Al Jazeera, Google News · World +1
4 more headlines
- Trump says Kim Jong Un has responded to his request for talks UPI Top · 1d ago
- Trump turns back on ally South Korea and signals renewed openness to Kim Jong Un Le Monde EN · 1d ago
- Trump Pushes for Kim Jong Un Meeting This Year Wall Street Journal · 1d ago
- Trump defends reduced South Korea exercises, hints at dialogue with Kim Jong Un Stars & Stripes · 1d ago
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first by Al Jazeera, 2d ago · also Mother Jones, Independent UK, The Independent, Bloomberg, PBS NewsHour, Google News · Top
5 more headlines
- Trump Burns Allies Over Iran. South Korea and Oman Are Next. Mother Jones · 2d ago
- Kim-praising Trump asks South Korea, ‘Why are we helping you?’ in tiff over Iran aid Independent UK · 2d ago
- Why did Trump scale back war games with South Korea? Al Jazeera · 2d ago
- Trump Says South Korea Refused to Help With Iran Bloomberg Politics · 2d ago
- Trump lashes out at South Korea over its refusal to join Iran war PBS NewsHour · 2d ago
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first by Time, 2d ago · also Mastodon trending, Guardian US, The Guardian, Google News · Top, The Hill
2 more headlines
- Trump’s move to gut South Korea alliance is ‘inane, haphazard decision’, lawmakers say Mastodon trending · 2d ago
- Trump’s South Korea move rattles foreign policy world The Hill · 2d ago
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first by Mastodon trending, 2d ago · also The Korea Herald, NYT Home, NYT Asia Pacific, NYT World
1 more headline
- Behind Trump's North Korea overtures, a tougher message for Seoul The Korea Herald · 2d ago
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first by BBC World, 7h ago · also BBC Asia, BBC
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first by The Daily Wire, 2d ago · also Daily Wire
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first by Fortune, 3d ago · also Middle East Eye
1 more headline
- Trump: South Korea says ‘no thanks’ to his request to help denuclearise Iran Middle East Eye · 3d ago
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1 outlet North Korea Rejects Trump Overtures, Calling US-South Korea Drills 'Provocative, Aggressive'
first by RedState, 1h ago
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first by Anadolu Agency, 22h ago
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first by RTE News, 1d ago
On air 1 segment · click to watch, arrow keys to move
What people said 429 posts and comments in this stretch · verbatim
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BREAKING: South Korea directly rejects Trump's new demand to join the US in the Iran war and the denuclearization of Iran, prompting Trump to announce on Truth Social that he will substantially reduce military exercises with South Korea, held every year since 1954, because of it.
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This is absolutely bananas. Trump says we’re suspending exercises with South Korea because of his “really good relationship” with Kim Jong-un. North Korea is nuclear-armed, threatens South Korea, and is actively helping Russia wage war against Ukraine.
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Trump sides with totalitarians every chance he gets. South Korea showed the world how to treat a leader who menaces democracy. Tonight Trump disses them, embracing Kim Jong-un. https://www. theguardian.com/world/2026/aug /17/trump-cuts-south-korea-joint-drills-us-military-good-relationship-kim-jong-un?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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BREAKING: In a stunning move, Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce planned joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with Kim Jong Un and saying the exercises are “costly” and send a “totally inappropriate and hostile”
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BREAKING: Trump just directed Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea — citing his "very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un."
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# BBCNews - Trump says US to scale back South Korea military drills after it stayed out of Iran war https://www. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lll 7zvn0o
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BREAKING: 🇺🇸🇰🇵 Trump announces that the U.S. will curtail military drills with South Korea to avoid angering North Korea, saying he has a “very good” relationship with Kim Jong Un.
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The president echoed Pyongyang’s complaints about the drill, saying they are totally “inappropriate and hostile,” towards an “unthreatening and respectful” North Korea
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This isn't a five alarm fire, but everyone's smoke detectors should be going off. This is serious, and makes sense given his snuggling with Kim Jong Un (and who Kim is taking money from). I do not have a crystal ball, but if you don't see # southkorea and # japan getting even closer, you're not paying attention. Also, you're forgiven for rolling…
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Mr Trump winds down joint military training with South Korea to punish them for not joining the Iran War. Madness. KJU a monster. A nuclear threat to the region. The ROK a democracy. Economic powerhouse. This action lowers deterrence of war from N Korea.
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# Trump tells # Hegseth to cut back joint US / # Korea drills, citing Korea's lack of help with the war on # Iran . Petty, what? https://www. axios.com/2026/08/16/trump-us- south-korea-military-drills-cut
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President Trump explained the decision by saying South Korea had declined to help with the "denuclearization" of Iran and he cited his good relationship with North Korea's leader.
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🟠 UPDATE US Scales Back Military Drills with South Korea The article confirms the reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea and adds that President Trump explicitly cited Seoul's refusal to support US efforts to... 📰 https:// timesofindia.indiatimes.com/wo…
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BREAKING: Trump orders military to reduce exercises with South Korea, citing its lack of assistance on Iran and his “very good” relationship with Kim Jong Un.
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🟠 UPDATE US Scales Back Military Drills with South Korea Trump justifies scaling back drills by citing a 'very good relationship with Kim Jong-un', whereas previous reports cited Seoul's refusal to support US operations against Iran. The article specifies the drills are named 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' and notes... 📰 https://www…
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North Korea is backing Iran. Russia is backing Iran. Trump backs North Korea. Trump backs Russia. Does Trump really back America? cbwrong.
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🟠 UPDATE US Scales Back Military Drills with South Korea Trump cites his relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un as a reason for the reduction, in addition to South Korea's refusal to join the war in Iran. 📰 https://www. nbcnews.com/politics/trump-adm…
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USA has lost all credibility with our true allies. We are no longer a Super Power or World leader. We are a thug, third world nation.
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🟠 UPDATE US Scales Back Military Drills with South Korea Trump cites his 'very good relationship' with North Korea's Kim Jong Un as the reason for being 'not happy' about the drills. 📰 https://www. aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/17/t rump-says-us-to-substantially-reduce-military-drills-with-south-korea?traffic_source=rss # USA # Diplomacy # Military…
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President Donald Trump said he has directed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, reducing support for a longtime ally while praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
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🟠 UPDATE US Scales Back Military Drills with South Korea Trump explicitly states that annual military drills with South Korea send an 'inappropriate and hostile' signal to North Korea. 📰 https://www. dw.com/en/trump-orders-to-scal e-back-us-south-korea-military-drills/a-78390592?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf # USA # Military # Diplomacy #…
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What a time in America. A President who describes Canadians as ‘nasty’ and North Korea, the country that just sent 35,000 soldiers to the Russian frontline to kill Ukrainians, as ‘unthreatening and respectful’. It’s hard to believe that this is our reality.
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There might still be a few generals and admirals inside the circle who think these moves are boneheaded. I have to say though, I have little respect left for those just go along to get along. # politics https:// apnews.com/article/korea-trump…
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See this for what it is: Trump is looking for an “alliance” of countries to dump the Iran was debacle onto, and S Korea refused.
All 7 developments of North Korea rejects Trump's outreach even as US-South Korea… →
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