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US-South Korea joint military drill cut short at Trump's request, confirms Seoul media
🇴🇲 Oman /Conflict & Security

US-South Korea joint military drill cut short at Trump's request, confirms Seoul media

From Times of Oman · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • South Korea and the United States have cut short their joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) at the request of US President Donald Trump.
  • The drill period was nearly halved, with scheduled field training also reduced, to focus on adapting to North Korea's evolving capabilities including drones and cyberattacks.
  • North Korea continues to denounce the drills and vows to neutralize threats, while South Korea's president urges faster progress on nuclear-powered submarines.

The annual joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) between the United States and South Korea has been significantly scaled back, with the drill period nearly halved and field training exercises reduced. This decision, reportedly at the request of US President Donald Trump, comes as the exercise was slated to run from August 17-27. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the adjustments, stating that discussions are ongoing to finalize detailed plans.

While the UFS is primarily designed to train for contingencies against North Korea, the drills this year were also adapted to counter evolving threats from Pyongyang, including drones, GPS disruption, and cyberattacks. At least 18,000 South Korean troops were expected to participate. This scaling back echoes similar reductions in 2019 during a period of high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with North Korea.

South Korea and the United States agreed to discuss and carry out various measures going forward to achieve the objectives of the UFS exercise and establish a robust combined defence posture.

— Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)The South Korean military's statement on the adjusted joint military drills.

Despite the modifications, North Korea has continued its strong denunciation of the joint military exercises. Citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea vowed to "completely neutralise the enemy's military threat" and exercise its right to self-defense. Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung emphasized that the drills are defensive in nature and do not signal an intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions. Following Trump's decision, the president also urged accelerated progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.

completely neutralise the enemy's military threat

— North Korea (via KCNA)North Korea's vow in response to the scaled-back joint military drills.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Times of Oman in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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