The U.S. and South Korean military authorities have decided to end the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise early, following a directive from President Donald Trump to reduce joint military drills.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on August 19 that "the U.S. and South Korea agreed to adjust the duration and scale of the exercise at the suggestion of the U.S. side," stating that the UFS will now take place from August 17 to 21.
The UFS exercise, a regular joint drill aimed at defending the Korean Peninsula in times of crisis, was originally scheduled to run from August 17 to 27.
The JCS added that the joint command is conducting the exercise with dual command posts at CP Tango in Seongnam and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, and that the U.S. and South Korea will discuss various measures to achieve the goals of the UFS and establish a joint defense posture.
CP Tango, located in Seongnam, serves as the U.S. command post during wartime, while Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek functions as a peacetime command facility. However, due to the reduction in U.S. personnel at CP Tango following Trump's directive, the command post exercise (CPX) is expected to be conducted at both locations.
The UFS consists of a command post exercise (CPX) based on simulations and an associated field training exercise (FTX). The CPX is divided into two parts: the first part focuses on defense, while the second part practices counteroffensive operations.
It has been reported that the U.S. and South Korea have agreed to conduct only the first part of the exercise, scheduled to end on August 21, while canceling the second part, originally planned for August 24 to 27. This effectively reduces the training period by half.
Minister Ahn Kyubak stated during a press briefing at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul, that it seems the second part of the training will be canceled.
Additionally, the joint outdoor maneuver training planned in conjunction with the UFS will also be partially reduced. The JCS noted that "specific details are currently under discussion between the U.S. and South Korea."
The planned joint FTX during the UFS period includes 14 integrated exercises at the battalion level and above. It has been reported that most of the planned joint FTX will be conducted separately by the U.S. and South Korea or solely by the South Korean military, leading to a reduction in the number of exercises or postponements. As a result, the joint outdoor maneuver training is expected to be significantly scaled back.
However, the South Korean government is leaning towards postponing rather than completely canceling the joint FTX that was planned to be conducted throughout the year.
Minister Ahn responded to a question from reporters about whether more than ten FTX related to the UFS could be canceled, stating, "No, they are not canceled; they will be conducted throughout the year after the UFS ends," indicating that the total of over 160 planned FTX for this year will proceed as scheduled.
The JCS stated, "In the future, the U.S. and South Korea will discuss various measures to achieve the goals of the UFS and establish a joint defense posture."
Earlier, on August 16, President Trump stated on social media platform Truth Social, "Considering that I have a very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, I do not like the fact that the U.S. has long agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea," and directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to significantly reduce the scale of U.S.-South Korea joint exercises. The following day, the U.S. Department of Defense expressed its commitment to actively implement the commander-in-chief's directive.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.