South Korea says joint military drills with the United States will end six days early. The move comes as US President Donald Trump seeks talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday. It was set to continue for several more days. But South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday that the drills will now end on Friday.
The change came at the request of the US side, South Korea said.
The two countries will also reduce some field training. These drills include live outdoor exercises. The US and South Korean militaries are still working out the details.
A Pentagon official later said the US military was “substantially” reducing joint exercises with South Korea.
Trump said on Sunday that he was not happy with the US role in the drills. He pointed to his good relationship with Kim. He also called the exercises costly and hostile toward North Korea.
The move came as Trump appears to seek another meeting with Kim.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Seoul was surprised by Trump’s order. He told lawmakers on Wednesday that South Korean and US officials had not known about the plan in advance.
South Korean media had reported similar changes before the official announcement. Reports said the second stage of the exercise could be dropped. That stage would have focused on a simulated counterattack against North Korea.
North Korea has long opposed the US South Korea military drills. Pyongyang sees them as a threat and often calls them preparation for an attack.
The US and South Korea have held joint drills for many years. The US military has had troops in South Korea since the Korean War.
The war ended in 1953 with an armistice. No formal peace treaty was signed. As a result, the two Koreas remain technically at war.
South Korea is also home to Camp Humphreys. It is the largest US military base outside the United States.
The two countries train together often. Their forces also work together during large military exercises.
However, earlier cuts to joint drills were made before exercises began. This happened in 1992 and 1994. Similar steps were also taken after Trump’s first meeting with Kim in 2018.
The latest change is different because the exercise was already under way.
The move also comes amid reports that Trump wants to meet Kim again.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Trump had asked aides to explore a meeting with Kim as early as this autumn. The report said the meeting could happen during Trump’s next trip to Asia.
Trump is expected to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
Trump has already met Kim three times. Their meetings took place during Trump’s first term. Their most notable meeting came in 2019, when Trump briefly entered North Korea at the Demilitarized Zone.
Trump has recently increased talk of another meeting. He also shared an old photo of himself with Kim on social media.
Trump said Kim had responded to his efforts to open talks. He did not give details about the response.
Experts say the military drill change could be an early sign of a wider shift in US policy toward North Korea.
Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute in Seoul said Trump could take further steps if talks restart. These could include a full suspension of joint drills or changes to US troop levels in South Korea.
South Korea’s presidential office said it will keep working with Washington on military exercises.
At the same time, President Lee Jae Myung has called for greater military independence for South Korea. The issue may become more important as Seoul and Washington review their military plans and as Trump seeks a new path to talks with Kim.
