Trump pledge to halt ‘war games’ surprises Pentagon, Seoul

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pledge Tuesday to cancel military exercises on the Korean Peninsula surprised not only allies in South Korea but also the Pentagon.

Hours after Trump’s announcement in Singapore, U.S. troops in Seoul said they are still moving ahead with a military exercise this fall — Ulchi Freedom Guardian — until they receive guidance otherwise from the chain of command.

In Washington, officials at the Pentagon, State Department and White House were scrambling to figure out exactly the impact of Trump’s comments.

In Seoul, President Moon Jaein of South Korea hailed Trump’s summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon called the joint statement that was released after the meeting “a historic event that has helped break down the last remaining Cold War legacy on earth.”

But Trump’s promise to end joint military exercises with Seoul left many South Koreans stunned. The annual exercises have been an integral part of the alliance, forming the bulwark of South Korea’s defense against North Korea and Seoul’s sense of security among bigger powers in the region.

Trump’s announcement raised fears in the South Korean capital that Washington was making concessions too fast, before North Korea has dismantled its nuclear weapons.

U.S. officials said the military exercises are important because the allies use them to ensure readiness and promote the ability to operate with similar equipment and tactics.

In a Tuesday news conference in Singapore, before heading back to Washington, Trump focused on the potential cost savings of ending major exercises.

“We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money,” the president said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who speaks to Trump regularly, played down the impact of halting any exercises. But he strongly cautioned against another proposal Trump has been weighing: reducing the 28,500 U.S. troops now stationed on the Korean Peninsula.

“The one thing that I would violently disagree with is removing our troops,” Graham said on NBC’s “Today” program.