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in 2026 to support roughly 28,500 American troops; Trump claimed his first-term demand for $3 billion annually was rescinded by Biden.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.
241 Articles
241 Articles
US to end major military exercise in South Korea after just 5 days
President Donald Trump previously directed that the U.S. military’s involvement in the exercise be significantly curtailed. The post US to end major military exercise in South Korea after just 5 days appeared first on Task & Purpose.
South Korea and the US are cutting their current military exercises by half. As South Korea's General Staff announced, the maneuver will end on Friday at Washington's request, and not as planned on August 27.
US, South Korea Trim Military Exercises After Trump Orders Scale-Back
South Korea and the United States have shortened their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) military exercise and agreed to reduce some field training after U.S. President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to scale back joint drills with Seoul. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the changes in an Aug. 19 press release, saying they were made at the suggestion of the United States. The exercise, which began on Aug. 17, will now run throu…
South Korea will cut off joint military maneuvers with the US following Donald Trump’s petition. Learn the reasons for the North Korean decision and reaction.
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