South Korea says the United States has cancelled a major joint amphibious exercise scheduled for next month. The decision comes as the war with Iran places new demands on US military forces in the Middle East.
The cancelled exercise, known as Ssangyong, involves marine forces from South Korea and the United States. It focuses on strengthening combined military operations.
US Cites Force Constraints From Middle East Conflict
The South Korean Marine Corps said the US military had notified Seoul about the cancellation.
Han Seung-jeon, a spokesman for the South Korean Marine Corps, explained the reason behind the decision.
“The US Marine Corps formally notified our forces in June that its ability to deploy forces during this year’s Ssangyong exercise would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East,” he said.
The two countries are still discussing whether they can resume the amphibious exercise. However, South Korea has not provided further details about those consultations.
The Pentagon had not immediately responded to Seoul’s announcement.
What Is the Ssangyong Exercise?
The Ssangyong drills take place every two years and involve US and South Korean marine forces.
The exercise typically includes warships, aircraft and ground forces. Moreover, troops rehearse amphibious landing operations during the drills.
The exercise aims to improve coordination between the two allies. Therefore, its cancellation represents a change in their planned military training schedule.
US Also Scales Back Another Joint Exercise
The cancellation follows another decision involving US and South Korean military exercises.
US President Donald Trump ordered a reduction in the separate annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises last week.
The joint drills were reduced from 11 days to five days. Trump cited their high cost and described them as sending an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea.
At the same time, Trump highlighted his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The latest changes come as Washington faces competing military demands. The war with Iran has affected the availability of US forces for planned exercises elsewhere.
Trump Signals Interest in Renewed Engagement With North Korea
Trump has also expressed interest in rebuilding the relationship he developed with Kim during his first term.
The US president said Wednesday that it was important to “get along” with Kim. He also said Pyongyang now had 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons.
South Korea estimates that North Korea possesses around 80 to 120 nuclear weapons.
Trump and Kim met three times during Trump’s first term. However, North Korea accelerated its nuclear programmes after their second summit ended without an agreement.
The 2019 meeting in Hanoi failed to produce a deal on North Korea’s denuclearisation.
For now, the cancellation of Ssangyong adds another development to the changing US-South Korea military schedule. Meanwhile, both countries continue consultations over the possibility of resuming the amphibious exercise.
