North Korea Rejects Trump's Drill Cuts as 'Not Worth' Comment

The Pentagon defended the cuts. "These adjustments preserve essential readiness and training objectives. There will be no degradation to U.S. training objectives," a statement said. Certain events were converted to simulations, it said.

Analysts warned that a sustained reduction could weaken the decades-long alliance. Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said a one-year suspension of drills would mean "commanders unfamiliar with the procedures of the drills would be taking part when they resume," eroding deterrence.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is a computer-simulated command post exercise designed to prepare for potential North Korean aggression. The allies typically hold field training alongside it. The exercises, along with a similar springtime event, are a central pillar of the U.S.-South Korea alliance dating to the 1950-53 Korean War. They are also a long-running source of tension with Pyongyang, which calls them a rehearsal for invasion.

Days before this month's drills began, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the sea, continuing a pattern of responding to allied exercises with weapons tests. Kim Yo Jong's statement suggests Pyongyang views Trump's concession as insufficient to restart talks.

Negotiations between Trump and Kim collapsed after a 2019 summit in Hanoi ended without a deal. The two leaders exchanged letters afterward, but no follow-up meeting has been scheduled. North Korea has not issued any direct message to Washington since Kim Yo Jong's statement.