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KCNA

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EuroNews

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Al Jazeera

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The Associated Press

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CGTN

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The Wall Street Journal

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South Korea and the U.S. confirmed on Wednesday that their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end Aug. 21 — six days earlier than the original Aug. 27 conclusion — with the second counteroffensive phase scrapped at Washington's request.

South Korea and the U.S. confirmed on Wednesday that their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end Aug. 21 — six days earlier than the original Aug. 27 conclusion — with the second counteroffensive phase scrapped at Washington's request.

Trump had announced Sunday that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/trump-cuts-ussouth-korea-military-drills">he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the joint drills</a>, citing their cost and his relationship with Kim Jong Un. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said neither Seoul nor U.S. officials had advance notice of the order.

Donald Trump

Trump had announced Sunday that he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the joint drills, citing their cost and his relationship with Kim Jong Un. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said neither Seoul nor U.S. officials had advance notice of the order.

North Korea's state media condemned the drills as a "most immediate and open threat" to regional security, while Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong said the reduction in scale did not change the "hostile and aggressive essence" of the exercises.

North Korea's state media condemned the drills as a "most immediate and open threat" to regional security, while Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong said the reduction in scale did not change the "hostile and aggressive essence" of the exercises.

The Pentagon said the reduced drills would "preserve essential readiness" with "no degradation to U.S. training objectives," while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/south-korea-calls-for-wartime-operational-control-amid-trump-statements">his government should complete the planned transfer of wartime operational control during his term</a>.

The Pentagon said the reduced drills would "preserve essential readiness" with "no degradation to U.S. training objectives," while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday his government should complete the planned transfer of wartime operational control during his term.

Trump linked his decision to Seoul's refusal to support U.S. action against Iran, saying he had asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to join in the "denuclearization" of Iran and was told "No thanks." About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.

Trump linked his decision to Seoul's refusal to support U.S. action against Iran, saying he had asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to join in the "denuclearization" of Iran and was told "No thanks." About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.

Trump met Kim Jong Un three times during his first term — in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and Panmunjom in June 2019. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump has pushed aides to arrange a new meeting with Kim, potentially as soon as autumn 2026.

Trump met Kim Jong Un three times during his first term — in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and Panmunjom in June 2019. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump has pushed aides to arrange a new meeting with Kim, potentially as soon as autumn 2026.

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South Korea and the US confirmed on Aug. 19, 2026, that their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end Aug. 21 — six days earlier than the original Aug. 27 conclusion — with the second counteroffensive phase scrapped at Washington's request.

South Korea and the US confirmed on Aug. 19, 2026, that their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end Aug. 21 — six days earlier than the original Aug. 27 conclusion — with the second counteroffensive phase scrapped at Washington's request.

Trump announced on Truth Social on Aug. 16 that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the joint drills, citing their cost and his relationship with Kim Jong Un. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said neither Seoul nor US officials had advance notice of the order.

Trump announced on Truth Social on Aug. 16 that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" the joint drills, citing their cost and his relationship with Kim Jong Un. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said neither Seoul nor US officials had advance notice of the order.

The Pentagon said the reduced drills would "preserve essential readiness" with "no degradation to US training objectives," while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his government should complete the planned transfer of wartime operational control during his term.

The Pentagon said the reduced drills would "preserve essential readiness" with "no degradation to US training objectives," while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his government should complete the planned transfer of wartime operational control during his term.

Trump linked his decision to Seoul's refusal to support US action against Iran, saying he had asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to join in the "denuclearization" of Iran and was told "No thanks." About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea.

Trump linked his decision to Seoul's refusal to support US action against Iran, saying he had asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to join in the "denuclearization" of Iran and was told "No thanks." About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea.

Trump met Kim Jong Un three times during his first term — in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and Panmunjom in June 2019. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has pushed aides to arrange a new meeting with Kim, potentially as soon as autumn 2026.

Trump met Kim Jong Un three times during his first term — in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and Panmunjom in June 2019. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has pushed aides to arrange a new meeting with Kim, potentially as soon as autumn 2026.

The South Korean government's pushback on joint military drills is coming from officials with serious credibility problems — a Defense Minister who quotes Mao Zedong as a personal motto and faces desertion allegations has no standing to call Trump a liar. North Korea has been unthreatening throughout Trump's presidency, and scaling back costly exercises while pursuing diplomacy with Kim is smart, strategic leadership.

The South Korean government's pushback on joint military drills is coming from officials with serious credibility problems — a Defense Minister who quotes Mao Zedong as a personal motto and faces desertion allegations has no standing to call Trump a liar. North Korea has been unthreatening throughout Trump's presidency, and scaling back costly exercises while pursuing diplomacy with Kim is smart, strategic leadership.

Chance Son

Cutting joint drills with South Korea weakens deterrence at the worst possible time — North Korea has gained real battlefield experience in Ukraine and access to advanced drone warfare tactics, making allied readiness more critical than ever. Scaling back exercises looks less like diplomacy and more like leverage for an Iran agenda Seoul never formally agreed to support, undermining a vital alliance without a credible diplomatic return.

Cutting joint drills with South Korea weakens deterrence at the worst possible time — North Korea has gained real battlefield experience in Ukraine and access to advanced drone warfare tactics, making allied readiness more critical than ever. Scaling back exercises looks less like diplomacy and more like leverage for an Iran agenda Seoul never formally agreed to support, undermining a vital alliance without a credible diplomatic return.

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Drills continuing still a problem...

There is a 22% chance that the United States will withdraw from any of its current mutual defence treaties by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There is a 22% chance that the United States will withdraw from any of its current mutual defence treaties by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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