By Blessing Nweke
South Korea and the United States have agreed to shorten their annual joint military exercises at Washington’s request, bringing the drills to an earlier end than originally planned, South Korean officials said Wednesday.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were initially scheduled to continue until August 27 but will now end on Friday, August 21. The allies also agreed to reduce some of the joint field-training activities associated with the exercise.
The decision follows US President Donald Trump’s directive to scale back the exercises. Trump has criticized the drills as costly and provocative toward North Korea, while pointing to his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a reason for reducing military activities on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the decision came as a surprise, indicating that officials in Seoul had not been informed in advance about Trump’s order. The lack of prior consultation has raised questions about coordination within the longstanding US-South Korean security alliance.
The annual exercises are designed to strengthen the allies’ ability to respond to potential threats from North Korea and improve combined military readiness. Officials said the two countries would continue implementing measures aimed at maintaining their joint defense posture despite the shortened schedule.
North Korea has consistently condemned US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as preparations for invasion. Pyongyang has previously responded to similar drills with missile tests and threats.
The reduction comes as the Trump administration appears interested in renewing diplomatic engagement with Kim, potentially opening the door to another summit between the US president and North Korean leader.
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