Washington: Two senators have called on U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reconsider the decision to scale back the South Korea-U.S. military exercise. The senators warned that reducing the exercises could compromise the readiness of the allies and potentially send an unfavorable signal to North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) sent a letter on Tuesday, prompted by the announcement from Seoul and Washington that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would be shortened by a week. The change also includes a reduction in associated live-training events. This development followed President Trump's social media declaration on Sunday, where he instructed Hegseth to "substantially" reduce joint exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and the "totally inappropriate and hostile" message they might convey to the North.

The senators expressed their "serious concern" in the letter, urging the administration to maintain the training necessary to preserve the U.S.-ROK alliance's readiness. They emphasized that the Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, and North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, underscoring the importance of the exercises.

They further noted that North Korean troops, having gained combat experience from supporting Russia's war against Ukraine, could bring those lessons back to the peninsula, potentially increasing the threat to U.S. forces and allies. The senators also highlighted North Korea's strengthening ties with Russia and China, arguing that reducing readiness at this juncture would be ill-advised.

The call from Kelly and Tillis adds to a growing list of U.S. lawmakers opposing the reduction of the drills. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) also criticized the decision, stating that scaling back the exercises at a time of already tested confidence in America's security commitments undermines a democratic ally and damages U.S. credibility across the Indo-Pacific region.

Bera emphasized that decisions impacting military readiness and the Korean Peninsula's security should be made in close coordination with Seoul and based on national security interests, rather than personal relationships.