US cancels Ssangyong amphibious drill with South Korea over Iran war constraints
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
The United States cancelled the Ssangyong amphibious landing drill scheduled for next month with South Korea, Seoul's Marine Corps said on Monday. Washington cited constraints on U.S. force availability due to the war in Iran. The allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills.
Key Facts
- The U.S. Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that force availability would be constrained for the division-level exercise Ssangyong.
- The cancellation follows President Donald Trump's order to scale back the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise that ended last Friday, citing cost and Seoul's refusal to take part in the Iran war.
- Despite the reduction of exercises, Pyongyang fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement denouncing the drills.
Cancellation Notification
The U.S. Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that force availability would be constrained for the division-level exercise known as Ssangyong. A South Korean Marine Corps spokesperson told a press briefing that the allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills. The spokesperson did not specify what measures might be taken to prevent future cancellations or to make up for lost training opportunities. U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Political Context
The cancellation follows U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise order to scale back the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise that ended last Friday. Trump cited the cost and Seoul's refusal to take part in the Iran war as reasons for scaling back the exercise. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent "a signal that was totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful."
North Korean Response
Despite the reduction of the exercises, Pyongyang fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week. North Korea issued a statement denouncing the exercises. North Korea has long condemned such joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion.
3 sources
US cancels Ssangyong amphibious drill with South Korea over Iran war constraints
