The United States has reportedly canceled a major joint amphibious military exercise with South Korea scheduled for September, with Seoul’s military saying resource constraints connected to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran are behind the decision.
South Korea’s military announced the cancellation Monday, saying the U.S. Marine Corps had warned months earlier that the ongoing situation in the Middle East would limit its ability to deploy forces for the exercise.
“The U.S. Marine Corps formally notified our forces in June that its ability to deploy forces during this year’s Ssangyong exercise would be constrained due to the situation in the Middle East,” a spokesperson for the South Korean marine corps told reporters, according to Reuters.
Despite the cancellation, Washington and Seoul remain in discussions about eventually resuming the exercise.
The Pentagon referred questions from The Hill about the decision to the Marine Corps, which did not immediately respond.
The biennial exercise, known as Ssangyong, or “Twin Dragons,” has been conducted for decades and involves more than 10,000 U.S. and South Korean marines.
The large-scale drills are designed to rehearse amphibious landings using warships, aircraft and ground forces.
News of the cancellation comes after President Donald Trump announced last week that another major joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise would be scaled back.
Ulchi Freedom Shield began Aug. 17 and ended Friday after being shortened from 11 days to five.
Trump claimed the decision to reduce the exercise was motivated by a desire to restart diplomatic talks with North Korea as well as South Korea’s refusal to assist the United States in the Iran war.
North Korea has routinely condemned joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul, describing them as provocative and rehearsals for an invasion.
Pyongyang, however, has said there are currently no plans for future talks with Washington.
The cancellation of September’s Ssangyong exercise also marks another chapter in the drill’s on-again, off-again history.
The exercise was previously canceled during Trump’s first term, when it was argued that the war game was too expensive and could interfere with the president’s diplomatic efforts involving North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The military exercise remained sidelined before being revived in 2023 under the Biden administration.
Now, the planned September exercise has again been called off, this time as American military resources are constrained by the ongoing war in Iran.
While the Marine Corps will not participate in the exercise as planned next month, officials from the United States and South Korea are still consulting about bringing the joint amphibious drills back at a later point.
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