Joint military drill cut short at Washington’s request, confirms South Korean media

SEOUL: Following the decision by US President Donald Trump, the joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) between the United States of America and South Korea, which commenced earlier this week have been cut short, with the scheduled field training also set to be reduced, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency confirmed, citing the military.

As per Yonhap, the military drill was agreed to be cut short to Friday, paring down the drill period almost by half, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a release. The UFS was slated to run from August 17-27.

According to the JCS, field training exercises, a core part of the drills, will also be reduced to some extent, with discussions under way between the two militaries to decide on the detailed plans. “South Korea and the United States agreed to discuss and carry out various measures going forward to achieve the objectives of the UFS exercise and establish a robust combined defence posture,” the JCS said.

As per Yonhap, Washington and Seoul have reportedly cancelled the second half of the exercise, which is based on counterattack scenarios against enemy aggression. It also observed that the UFS is primarily designed to train for contingencies against North Korea. It noted how their joint drills were also scaled back in 2019 during Trump’s first term, when the high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang was at its peak.

The U.S. and South Korea have agreed to reduce the duration, scale and other aspects of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise following a U.S. proposal. The drills, which began August 17, will now run through August 21, with some live-training activities reduced,… pic.twitter.com/UjlmK1m4kr

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Meanwhile, CNN reported, citing a spokesperson for the US Forces Korea that the drills this year were designed to adapt to North Korea’s evolving capabilities and would incorporate training to counter drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks. At least 18,000 South Korean troops were set to take part.

However, despite the developments, Yonhap reported that North Korea on Wednesday continued to denounce a joint military exercise even after its scaling back. Citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it further mentioned that North Korea vowed to “completely neutralise the enemy’s military threat” and exercise its right to self-defence.

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung also earlier stated that joint military drills between Washington and Seoul are defensive in nature and do not reflect any intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back the annual war games.

Addressing a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the South Korean President also urged faster progress in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines after Donald Trump’s order to cut joint drills, the official media Yonhap reported. (ANI)