South Korea's military announced the early conclusion of the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercises with the US, following a directive from Donald Trump to scale back drills he described as 'hostile' and costly. Seoul officials admitted they were caught off guard by the order.
The South Korean and US militaries will end the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercises on August 21, cutting the drills short from the original August 27 end date at the request of the US side.
President Donald Trump has ordered a substantial reduction in the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with Kim Jong-un, despite military warnings that North Korea is applying new battlefield tactics learned in Ukraine.
Donald Trump criticised US-South Korea joint military exercises as 'costly' and 'hostile' on social media, highlighting his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as Seoul and Washington begin annual drills.
South Korea and the U.S. launched the Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise on Monday. Seoul aims to use the drills to advance wartime OPCON transition efforts, while North Korea has denounced the maneuvers and launched short-range ballistic missiles.
Donald Trump has ordered US defense secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce joint US-South Korean military drills, citing his relationship with Kim Jong-un, despite warnings that North Korea is adapting battlefield tactics from Ukraine.
Güney Kore ve ABD, Kuzey Kore'nin gelişen askeri kabiliyetlerine ve Ukrayna tecrübelerine karşı 17-27 Ağustos'ta Ulchi Freedom Shield tatbikatını gerçekleştirecek.
