US, South Korea Cut Joint Military Drills After Trump Orders Reduced Role

South Korea and the United States have shortened their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises from 11 days to five and reduced some field training after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a substantial cut in American participation.

The joint drills, which began on August 17, will now conclude on August 21 instead of August 27, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and a U.S. Department of Defense official.

South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the allies were moving to cancel the second phase of the exercises, which was expected to include counterattack operations following an initial defensive phase. The JCS said the adjustments to the duration and scope were agreed upon at the suggestion of the United States.

Some combined field manoeuvres will also be reduced, while certain live-training activities have been cancelled or converted into simulations. The Pentagon said the changes would maintain essential readiness and would not undermine U.S. training objectives.

The decision follows Trump’s Sunday order to “substantially reduce” U.S. participation, with the president citing his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has also reportedly pushed for another face-to-face meeting with Kim, potentially during an Asia trip later this year.

The scaled-back drills coincide with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to South Korea for regional security discussions expected to include developments on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea again condemned the US-South Korea military drills on Wednesday, describing them as a threat to regional security and saying it would continue exercising its right to self-defence. However, Pyongyang did not directly criticize Trump or mention his decision to reduce the exercises.

Analysts suggested the restrained response could indicate that North Korea wants to preserve room for renewed diplomacy.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said neither Seoul nor U.S. officials had advance knowledge of Trump’s order. President Lee Jae Myung, meanwhile, reiterated that Ulchi Freedom Shield is defensive and is not intended to attack North Korea or increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula.