S. Korea, U.S. sharply reduce joint military exercise following Trump order
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are scaling down th...
South Korea and the United States have decided to scale down their annual joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump. The exercise, originally scheduled to run from August 17-27, will now conclude on Friday, reducing the drill period almost by half. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea announced this move, stating that field training exercises, a crucial component of the drills, will also be reduced to some extent.
Discussions are underway between the two militaries to finalize the detailed plans for the shortened exercise. This decision comes in the wake of Trump's social media post on Sunday, expressing a desire to substantially scale down the joint South Korea-U.S. military drills due to cost concerns and his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
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