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US, South Korea to cut joint drills by about half
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday, and its second phase, focused on counter-attack operations, will be cancelled or deferred.
South Korea media, citing plans from US President Donald Trump, say scheduled joint US and South Korean military drills will be cut by about half. The change follows an order to substantially reduce US participation in the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on Monday and was previously set to run into next week.
According to reports by broadcasters KBS and MBC, and newspapers Kyunghyang and DongA, the allies were expected to complete the first, defensive phase of the exercise this week and cancel or defer a second phase involving counter-attack operations.
The reports also say some planned field training would likely be postponed or cancelled. Reuters reported the developments on Aug. 19, 2026, citing South Korean media.