US-South Korea Joint Drills Cut in Half; Counterattack Phase Cancelled
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The US and South Korea have announced a dramatic reduction in the ongoing "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS) joint military exercise, cutting its duration by roughly half. The exercise, which started on Monday August 17, will now conclude this Friday instead of running until August 27. The second phase involving counterattack operations has been entirely cancelled, marking an unprecedented move in the history of US-South Korea combined military exercises.
Key Points
- The exercise was scheduled to run from August 17 to 27 in two phases: the first covering defense against North Korean invasion, the second focusing on counterattack operations
- US Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson personally visited South Korea's Defense Ministry in Seoul's Yongsan district on August 18 to brief Defense Minister Ahn Kuk-hyun on the revised plan
- At least 10 of the originally planned 14 joint field exercises will be cancelled, with alternative training arrangements to be determined
- President Trump announced on social media that he had directed the Pentagon to significantly reduce the scale of the exercises, calling them costly and sending inappropriate hostile signals to North Korea
- South Korean military sources described the mid-exercise halving of scheduled drills as unprecedented in the history of US-South Korea combined exercises
Why It Matters
Security experts have expressed grave concerns that the unilateral reduction could weaken South Korea's overall combat readiness against North Korean nuclear threats . The fact that such a major change was made after exercises had already begun also reveals serious communication and trust issues within the US-South Korea alliance .
Security experts have expressed grave concerns that the unilateral reduction could weaken South Korea's overall combat readiness against North Korean nuclear threats . The fact that such a major change was made after exercises had already begun also reveals serious communication and trust issues within the US-South Korea alliance .