The Wall Street Journal has criticized President Donald Trump's decision to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, characterizing the move as an "act of appeasement" toward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The newspaper's conservative editorial board argued that curtailing these exercises sends a message of weakened deterrence and readiness against a regime with a history of aggression.
Trump cited his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un as the basis for his decision, also noting concerns about South Korea's assistance with denuclearizing Iran. However, the Journal suggested that the move might be an attempt to shift focus from the ongoing stalemate concerning Iran, or an effort to appease Kim at a time when U.S. weapons stocks are strained.
An earlier investigation by Reuters reported that the U.S. Army's stockpile of long-range missiles is significantly depleted due to the conflict in Iran. The Wall Street Journal editorial board warned that Trump's order to scale back the joint U.S.-South Korean military drills could reinforce a perception in Asia and Europe that the United States is an unreliable ally. The newspaper also predicted that this decision might prompt South Korea to pursue its own nuclear deterrent in response to North Korea's growing arsenal.