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North Korea shrugs off Trump’s scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing
The allies shortened the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise to Friday after Washington said the drills were costly and too provocative, officials said.
- On Wednesday, South Korean and U.S. militaries confirmed they are scaling back the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce them, with drills now ending Friday instead of Aug. 27.
- Citing cost savings and a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, Trump claimed the drills send a signal totally inappropriate and hostile to North Korea, which he said has been unthreatening and respectful.
- During parliamentary hearings Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said neither nation's officials were informed before Trump announced the reduction via social media.
- North Korea's state news agency KCNA labeled the drills frantic and extremely dangerous, while analyst Yang Uk at Seoul's Asan Institute warned the suspension risks military readiness as unfamiliar commanders would lead future exercises.
- Trump's move mirrors his 2018 abrupt cancellation of war games after his first summit with Kim, though their subsequent 2018-2019 diplomacy collapsed over sanctions relief disputes, raising concerns the pattern may repeat.
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North Korea shrugs off Trump's scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing
North Korea says the U.S. decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea doesn't change what it views as their provocative nature.
·New York, United States
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Trump scales back Ulchi Freedom Shield, raising US-South Korea readiness fears
Donald Trump ordered a sharp reduction in the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise just before it began. The move has raised fresh concerns over allied readiness and the future of US-South Korea defence coordination.
·Noida, India
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left7Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Left
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources lean Left
64% Left
L 64%
C 18%
R 18%
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