Kim Yo-jong criticizes U.S.-South Korea military drill reduction

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Thursday that Washington's recent decision to scale down the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise has placed Seoul "in a poor plight of canceling 'war games' it liked very much."

Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement as South Korea and the United States scaled down the summertime annual combined exercise after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the drills to be reduced.

"Trump issued a sudden order to reduce the scale of the drill. This has placed Seoul in a poor plight of canceling 'war games' it liked very much," Kim said.

Kim also said that President Lee Jae Myung's "double-dealing remarks" show the uneasiness and impatience of South Korea, referring to Lee's remarks that he respects the scaling down of the drills while also pledging for the "independent buildup of military capabilities."

"It will be something like the first 'trouble' to the ROK, unprecedented in the history of U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, in the context that they have never seen the scale of war games reduced to become coreless after its kick-off with no prior discussion," she added, calling South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Kim added that the reduced scale of the exercise is "an evident disaster" for South Korean authorities that have been "blinded by their firm belief in the U.S. master."

"The world witnesses that the U.S. security aids are no longer free of charge," Kim said. "The whole territory of the ROK would be insufficient to gain favor with the cruel master."

Earlier this week, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to cut short the UFS exercise to Friday, concluding the initial 11-day drills a week earlier than scheduled. The UFS was scheduled to run from Aug. 17-27.

The adjustment came after Trump called for scaling down the drills in a social media post Sunday (U.S. time), citing the financial burden and his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The U.S. Defense Department said the downsizing does not mean a weakening of the allies' military capabilities.

Earlier in the day, North Korea fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, despite Trump's gesture to reengage with the North Korean leader.