The United States will not join South Korea in large-scale amphibious landing exercises next month because of demands in the Middle East, the South Korean military said Monday — raising further questions about the sustainability of U.S. military commitments in Asia as the Iran war strains resources.
The U.S. Marine Corps informed its South Korean counterparts in June that in light of “the situation in the Middle East,” the U.S. wouldn’t participate in the Ssangyong, or “Twin Dragon,” exercises carried out every two years, said Han Seung-jeon, a South Korean marine corps spokesman, at a Monday news briefing.
He said the two countries are discussing the eventual resumption of the exercises. The U.S. Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement comes after the aircraft carrier USS George Washington departed its home base in the Pacific Ocean and arrived in the Arabian Sea to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he directed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing costs and his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said such exercises send a “totally inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his tenure.
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