U.S. Marines Pull Out of Planned Ssangyong Amphibious Drill with South Korea

The United States Marine Corps announced it will not take part in the 2026 Ssangyong (“Twin Dragons”) amphibious exercise scheduled for September with South Korean forces. The cancellation follows a recent, substantial reduction in U.S. participation in the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, a decision announced by President Donald Trump on the basis of his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and cost concerns.

The official rationale given this time points to force and resource constraints stemming from the ongoing Iran war, as well as South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. in that conflict. Ssangyong is a biennial rehearsal that tests complex amphibious landings, command-and-control coordination, logistics over beaches and integration of air and ground assets, all critical for potential operations on the Korean Peninsula’s extensive coastline.

Repeated cancellations risk eroding the readiness and interoperability of U.S. and ROK Marines and may be interpreted by North Korea and China as a sign of diminished U.S. resolve in the Indo-Pacific.