U.S. Marines Cancel 10,000-Troop Ssangyong Drill With South Korea as Iran War Drains Resources
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 24
U.S. Marines Cancel 10,000-Troop Ssangyong Drill With South Korea as Iran War Drains Resources
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 24
Summary
June notice from the U.S. Marine Corps led South Korea to announce Monday that next month’s Ssangyong amphibious exercise had been canceled because Middle East demands blocked the deployment of U.S. forces.
More than 10,000 Marines typically take part in the biennial drill, one of the allies’ highest-profile exercises, making the cancellation a visible cut to combined readiness on the Korean Peninsula.
The move is the second rollback of a joint drill in Trump’s second term after he shortened the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise to five days earlier this month.
Iran war demands have depleted U.S. munitions stockpiles and pulled assets from Asia, feeding doubts about Washington’s ability to sustain deterrence in Korea while handling another major conflict.
Ssangyong was revived in 2023 after being shelved during Trump’s first term, and Seoul said the two Marine Corps are still consulting on when it might resume.