South Korea shortens Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 by six days at U.S. request
Seoul says the "period and scope" of Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 changed after a U.S. proposal; the drills will end on August 21 instead of August 27.
South Korea will shorten its annual joint military exercise with the United States by six days at Washington's request, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said. Seoul said the "period and scope" of the Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 exercise were changed following a proposal from the U.S. side.
New end date and scope adjustments
The drills will now end on August 21 instead of the originally planned August 27. Seoul also said the portion of the exercise that covers joint field training will be "partially reduced in scope," and that "concrete details" of the reductions are still being reviewed.
The announcement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled plans to scale back exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good" relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: "These exercises are not only expensive, with much of the cost paid by the United States (as usual!), but they send a completely inappropriate and hostile signal."
South Korea's foreign minister, Cho Hyun, told a parliamentary hearing that neither South Korean nor U.S. authorities had been informed in advance of Trump’s plans. U.S. officials speaking to the Wall Street Journal said Trump is pressing his advisers to arrange a meeting with Kim Jong Un.
Sources told the newspaper that the president has privately discussed the possibility of a face-to-face meeting with Kim during his next visit to Asia, likely in November, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China. In the Oval Office on Monday, Trump again linked his decision to Seoul's refusal to provide help with Iran, saying: "We have 39.000 soldiers there who are protecting you from Kim Jong Un, your neighbor, and you will not help us in a very easy military operation in Iran." He added: "That's strange."
Seoul and Washington said they are still working out the operational details of the shortened exercise. Military planners from both countries will need to finalise which training elements will be scaled back while maintaining alliance readiness in the region.
Photo: press material from the event
