By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has instructed the Pentagon chief to "substantially" reduce joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, noting that those exercises are not only "costly" but also send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea.

Trump made the remarks in a social media post as Seoul and Washington are set to kick off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise this week, which Pyongyang has long decried as war rehearsals.

"Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful," he added.

He then noted, "Based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!"

He also said that he had recently asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung if Seoul would like to join the effort to denuclearize Iran, and was told, "No thanks." He did not elaborate further.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

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