US-South Korea Military Exercise Finally Cut Short, Only Until Friday
The joint military exercise between the United States (US) and South Korea has finally been cut short. The exercise will now only run until Friday, 21 August 2026.
According to AFP news agency, Wednesday (19/8/2026), the US-South Korea military exercise was originally scheduled to run until 27 August. However, the exercise has now been shortened after US President Donald Trump ordered a reduction in the scale of the drills.
“We have decided to adjust the UFS exercise period to run from 17 to 21 August,” said South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement.
As previously reported, Trump announced on Sunday (16/08) that he had ordered the Pentagon to significantly reduce joint military exercises with South Korea.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the annual exercise was not only expensive, but also “sends a completely inappropriate and hostile signal” to North Korea, which he said had been “non-threatening and respectful” towards the US.
The announcement came just as the US and South Korea were scheduled to begin one of their two large-scale annual joint military exercises this week.
South Korea is one of the US’s main allies, and their relationship has endured for more than seven decades despite various political changes.
Trump also highlighted that South Korea refused to help the US in its denuclearisation efforts against Iran, and said he had a “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“Although somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea whether they would like to join us in the denuclearisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they answered, ‘No, thank you!’,” Trump wrote.
“Therefore, and given that it is already too late to cancel, I have instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the joint military exercise!” Trump said.
Exercise to Counter North Korean Threats
The joint military exercise, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, was scheduled to run from 17 to 27 August 2026.
South Korea’s military told the Associated Press that the exercise involved 18,000 South Korean troops.
The joint exercise was expected to include operations to counter drones, address GPS signal jamming, and defend against cyber attacks, in response to North Korea’s evolving capabilities.