Former US President Trump sparked controversy just before the start of the Korea-US joint exercise 'Freedom Shield' by ordering a reduction in the scale of the exercises. Former President Trump argued that the reduction was necessary, citing his good relationship with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and raising concerns about the cost burden of the joint exercises. While current Korea-US military authorities have stated that the UFS joint exercise is proceeding normally, former President Trump's remarks have raised the possibility of adjusting the scale of the joint exercises. Meanwhile, the Lee Jae-myung administration has expressed its willingness to consider adjusting Korea-US joint exercises in order to resume dialogue with North America, and former President Trump's remarks are also being interpreted as a gesture to resume dialogue with Chairman Kim Jong-un. However, there are concerns that reducing joint exercises could have a negative impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula and the transfer of wartime operational control.
