US-South Korea military drills to end early after Trump order, Seoul says

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that joint military drills with U.S. forces would conclude early, following President Donald Trump's directive on Saturday. The annual U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which commenced on Monday, will end on August 21, six days sooner than originally scheduled. South Korea and the United States agreed to reduce the duration and scale of the exercise in response to a U.S. proposal.

The JCS stated that various measures will be implemented to achieve the exercise's objectives and maintain a robust combined defense posture. A Pentagon official confirmed that the exercise had been substantially reduced based on direction from the president and secretary of war. The drills will conclude on August 21, one week earlier than planned.

There will be no deterioration in U.S. training objectives. Trump cited his positive relationship with North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un as the reason behind the reduced drills. North Korea typically protests joint U.S.-South Korean exercises, describing them as a threat to the country's stability. Trump criticized the annual military exercise as inappropriate and hostile towards North Korea, emphasizing the unthreatening stance of the country during his presidency.