South Korea and the United States have shortened the duration of joint military exercises and scaled back field training after US President Donald Trump ordered a “significant reduction” in annual military exercises.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on Tuesday that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17, will be shortened from 11 days to five days and end on August 21.
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JCS said the adjustment to the training period was agreed upon at the suggestion of Washington, adding that some combined field maneuver training would also be reduced.
According to South Korean media, Seoul’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-bak said the allies were moving to cancel the second phase of the drills, which was expected to include counterattack operations after an initial defensive phase.
A Pentagon official told Reuters the department had significantly scaled back its exercises and accompanying live training events, canceling some or switching to simulations.
The changes maintain critical readiness and training objectives without compromising U.S. training objectives, the official added.
No “advance” notice
The change follows President Trump’s directive on Sunday to reduce the U.S. role in the exercises, citing North Korea’s “very good relationship” with leader Kim Jong Un. President Trump also linked this decision to the South Korean government’s refusal to participate in the US-Israel war against Iran.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that neither South Korean nor U.S. officials were informed in advance of President Trump’s order to curtail joint military exercises.
In response to a lawmaker’s question about whether the South Korean government had been informed of Trump’s plan, Cho said, “Not only our government officials, but also U.S. government officials were not informed in advance.”
He added that President Trump’s message appears to be aimed at pressuring the South Korean government to get involved in the war against Iran.
“I think President Trump’s message includes pressure on several outstanding issues regarding the South Korean government, as well as a message to North Korea and the United States’ intention to break the impasse in the Iran war,” Cho said.
Nuclear-armed North Korea has long voiced its anger at U.S.-South Korea military exercises, viewing them as rehearsals for invasion.
The country again condemned the drills on Wednesday and said it would continue to exercise its right to self-defense against what it called military threats from Washington and South Korea.
Seoul’s presidential office said Tuesday that the drills did not reflect “an intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.”
Trump, however, said on Monday that Kim had responded to his efforts, without specifying the nature of the contact. He claimed that his relationship with the North Korean leader had made the situation “much safer.”
The two met three times during President Trump’s first term, but not during his second term.
The Wall Street Journal separately reported that President Trump has encouraged his aides to set up a direct meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un this fall. Citing U.S. officials, the newspaper reported that President Trump considered holding a meeting during his trip to Asia in November to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Shenzhen, China.
‘deadly’
The United States has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to shore up the country’s defenses, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
But President Trump’s repeated criticisms of the long-standing alliance have cast doubt on America’s commitment to security in East Asia and worried allies in the region.
Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Tuesday emphasized the importance of security cooperation with the United States and South Korea.
Prime Minister Koizumi told Australian reporters, “As Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment since the war, cooperation between Japan, the United States, and South Korea is extremely important for peace and stability in the region.”
Asked about Trump’s comments, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his country was “very concerned about North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and we have consistently made that point.”
“I think in the difficult world that we face…and there are many challenges, North Korea is the author of quite a few of those challenges,” he added.
