The United States and South Korea have agreed to shorten their annual joint military exercises from 11 days to five and reduce some field training activities.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17, will now end on August 21 instead of August 27, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and a US Department of Defence official.
The adjustment follows US President Donald Trump’s directive to substantially reduce American participation in the exercises.
South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the allies were also moving to cancel the second phase of the drills, which was expected to focus on counterattack operations following an initial defensive phase.
The US Department of Defence said some live-training activities had been cancelled or replaced with simulations, while some combined field manoeuvres would also be reduced.
However, officials said the changes would maintain essential military readiness and training objectives.
The decision comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits South Korea for talks expected to include regional security and developments on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has again condemned the exercises, describing the United States and South Korea as “warmongers” and accusing them of increasing tensions in the region.
Pyongyang has routinely criticised the annual drills as preparations for an invasion, while Washington and Seoul maintain that they are defensive exercises designed to strengthen military readiness.
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The reduction also comes amid renewed efforts by President Trump to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said on Monday that Kim had responded to his recent outreach, although he did not disclose details of the communication.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said neither South Korean nor US officials had been informed in advance about Trump’s order to reduce American participation.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has maintained that the exercises are defensive and that Seoul has no intention of attacking North Korea or increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
