Trump Rebukes South Korea's Lee Over Iran Refusal as 39,000 U.S. Troops Guard Peninsula
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Aug 17
Trump Rebukes South Korea's Lee Over Iran Refusal as 39,000 U.S. Troops Guard Peninsula
3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Aug 17
Summary
Trump said he challenged South Korean President Lee Jae Myung after Seoul declined to help in what he called an "easy" U.S. military operation in Iran, questioning why 39,000 American troops should keep defending South Korea.
Ulchi Freedom Shield still began Monday as scheduled, despite Trump's demand to scale back the annual U.S.-South Korea drills involving tens of thousands of troops that Washington and Seoul describe as defensive and central to deterring North Korea.
Seoul responded cautiously, saying it was reviewing Trump's remarks, would discuss possible help on Iran, and still wanted better U.S.-North Korea relations.
North Korea, which routinely denounces the exercises as provocative, launched more missiles this week; analysts said any Trump push to revive diplomacy faces a stronger Pyongyang backed by Russian technology and weaker sanctions enforcement from China and Russia.