US, South Korea shorten joint drills after Trump order

South Korea and the United States have shortened their joint military exercises and reduced the scale of field training activities after US President Donald Trump ordered a “significant reduction” in the two nations' annual war games.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17, will now last only 5 days instead of the originally planned 11 days, concluding on August 21. The time adjustment, made at Washington's proposal, also saw several joint mobile training activities scaled back.

South Korean media quoted Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back as saying the two allies were moving toward canceling the second phase of the exercise, which had been expected to include counteroffensive operations following the initial defensive phase.

A US Defense Department official confirmed to Reuters that the department had “significantly reduced” the exercise and related training activities, with some activities canceled or shifted to simulation. The official insisted the adjustments still ensure necessary readiness and training objectives, without undermining US training goals.

No prior notice

The decision came after Trump's order on August 16, citing a “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The US leader also linked the reduction to South Korea's refusal to participate in US and Israeli operations against Iran.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at a parliamentary hearing on August 19 that neither South Korean nor US officials had been notified in advance of the reduction order. “Our government officials, of course, and also US government officials, did not know in advance,” Cho said during questioning. He suggested Trump's message appeared aimed at pressuring South Korea to join the war with Iran.

North Korea, a nuclear-armed state, has long condemned US-South Korean exercises as rehearsals for invasion. Pyongyang on August 19 again criticized the drills, vowing to continue exercising its right to self-defense against military threats from Washington and Seoul. The South Korean presidential office on August 18 stressed the exercise does not reflect “any intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.”

US-North Korea relations

On August 17, Trump said Kim had responded to his outreach efforts but did not disclose the nature. The US leader emphasized his relationship with the North Korean leader was making the situation “much safer.” Trump met Kim three times during his first term but has had no meeting in his second term.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump has urged aides to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Kim as early as this fall. US officials said Trump has discussed holding talks during a trip to Asia in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.

Allied reactions

The US currently stations approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country's defense capabilities, a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Trump's repeated criticism of long-standing alliances has raised doubts about US commitment to East Asian security, worrying regional allies.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on August 18 stressed the importance of security cooperation with the US and South Korea. “Because Japan is facing the harshest and most complex security environment in the postwar era, cooperation among Japan, the US, and South Korea is crucial for peace and stability in the region,” Koizumi told reporters in Australia.

When asked about Trump's remarks, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his country is “very concerned about North Korea's nuclear program as well as its missile program, and we have long held that view consistently.” He added: “In a world as challenging as the one we face, there are many challenges, but North Korea is the source of no small number of them.”