South Korea and the US have agreed to shorten their Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills at Washington’s request. The exercises, initially scheduled through August 27, will now end Friday, with some field training also reduced. President Donald Trump ordered the cuts citing ties with Kim Jong Un, while experts warned the move could weaken military readiness and the US-South Korea alliance.
Seoul: The South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the US's request, South Korean officials said Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises.
The allies' summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday morning for an 11-day run, just after Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” them. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the US war against Iran.
South Korea's military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the US would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. It said the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.
Many experts say Trump's move threatens to hurt combined US-South Korean readiness and eventually weaken their decades-long alliance.
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