South Korea says the South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills
Summary
South Korea and the United States have agreed to shorten their joint military drills after President Donald Trump ordered a significant reduction. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which train the allies for possible North Korean threats, will end earlier than planned and include smaller field training activities.Key Facts
- The Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises started on Monday and were originally scheduled to last 11 days.
- The drills will now end on Friday, instead of August 27, following President Trump’s order to reduce them.
- President Trump cited good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran as reasons for the cutback.
- These exercises mainly involve computer-based training to enhance joint command and response skills.
- North Korea strongly opposes the US-South Korea military drills and calls them a rehearsal for war.
- North Korea’s state media called the drills “frantic” and vowed to counter any hostile actions.
- Experts say the reduced drills might weaken the military readiness and alliance between the US and South Korea.
- Trump and Kim Jong Un met three times but their talks stalled because of disagreements over sanctions and denuclearization.
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