South Korea says the South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills
The allies cut the exercise to Aug. 21 and reduced field training, saying the changes preserve readiness.
- On August 16, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to reduce the Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises with South Korea, a day after posting a photo with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un inside the demilitarized zone.
- Trump justified the reduction by criticizing South Korea's refusal to support U.S. Iran operations, telling South Korea's president, "We have 39,000 soldiers over there, guarding you, from Kim Jong Un, your next door neighbor, and you're not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran?"
- Under a Biden administration agreement, South Korea pays $1.19 billion in 2026 to support roughly 28,500 American troops; Trump claimed his first-term demand for $3 billion annually was rescinded by Biden.
- Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery called the move "befuddling and illogical," while Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling warned Trump is destroying longtime alliances through a pattern of bullying U.S. partners.
- This move extends a 19-month pattern of Trump attacking close allies from Canada to Spain to Denmark and recently threatening Oman, as nations increasingly notice disagreements with Washington convert into military threats rather than diplomatic resolution.
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Other News - Voices against the tideIs Donald Trump Good for the Korean Peninsula?
North Korea ultimately prefers the predictability of Russia and China to the unreliability of the United States.
The US and South Korea end their most important military maneuver earlier than planned. Trump is trying to maintain a good relationship with Kim Jong Un – but from Pyongyang there is further criticism.
Trump’s Order to Cut Military Exercises Carries Risks
“For years, the U.S. and South Korea militaries have participated in one of the largest military exercises in the world, with thousands of troops from both countries preparing for possible North Korea aggression,” the New York Times reports. “On President Trump’s orders, the Pentagon curtailed this year’s exercises and scaled back some live-fire components of […]
South Korea Was Given No Notice Before Trump Announced Drill Cut, Foreign Minister Says
President Donald Trump is welcomed by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun as he arrives at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on October 29, 2025. —Andrew Harnik—Getty ImagesSouth Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday that Seoul was given no notice before President Donald Trump announced that he would be scaling back joint military operations between the two countries.“Neither our government nor U.S. officials knew …
US, South Korea Scale Back Exercise on Trump’s Orders
The joint U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise will end Aug. 21, a week earlier than previously planned, at the behest of President Donald Trump—a move that comes as U.S Air Force is already reviewing its exercise schedule in the Pacific. Both the U.S. and South Korean militaries confirmed the schedule change Aug. 19, after Trump directed the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the exercise in an Aug. 16 social media post, citing his r…
On cam: Trump 'admits' US scaled back drills with South Korea due to Kim's nuclear bombs' fear?
U.S. President Donald Trump has addressed the decision to scale back annual military drills with South Korea, as Washington and Seoul begin a shorter version of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. The joint drills, which began on August 17, have been reduced from 11 days to five, with field training also scaled back. Trump’s comments come amid renewed focus on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his nuclear arsenal and tensions on the Korean Peninsu…
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