Trump scales back Ulchi Freedom Shield, raising US-South Korea readiness fears

Donald Trump ordered a sharp reduction in the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise just before it began. The move has raised fresh concerns over allied readiness and the future of US-South Korea defence coordination.Stock photo used for illustrationUS President Donald Trump has ordered a substantial scaling back of this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, a major annual military drill held by the United States and South Korea, just before it was due to begin on Monday. Trump said the move was linked to what he described as a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the US war against Iran.It was not immediately clear which parts of the 11-day exercise would be reduced or by how much. But analysts said the move could affect military readiness between the allies and put pressure on their long-standing alliance, with possible implications for future joint drills and wartime command arrangements.The Ulchi Freedom Shield, or UFS, is a computer-simulated tabletop exercise aimed at improving the allies’ ability to respond to regional security threats such as North Korean aggression. It is usually accompanied by field training exercises. South Korea’s military had earlier said this year’s drill would be similar in scale to previous years, with about 18,000 South Korean troops taking part. The US military had said it would include lessons from recent conflicts, including North Korea’s battlefield experience in the Russia-Ukraine war. Local media said the two sides had planned 14 field training exercises.Along with a similar joint exercise held in spring, the UFS is a key part of the US-South Korea alliance, which dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War. The drills have also long been a source of tension with North Korea, which has called them a rehearsal for war and has often responded with missile tests. Last Friday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused the US and South Korea of planning more provocative drills this year and said it would respond with "a new level of a deterrent". The US and South Korea have said the exercises are defensive. In a social media post, Trump described the exercise as costly, saying "much of these costs paid for by the United States of America". During his first term, he had also complained about the cost of drills with South Korea and suspended joint exercises in 2018 as part of efforts to advance nuclear talks with North Korea, which later stalled.Gen. Xavier Brunson, who commands about 28,500 US troops in South Korea, visited South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday for talks that media reports said were likely to focus on adjustments to this year’s drills. South Korea’s Defence Ministry said it could not confirm the report. Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the US would likely still take part in the tabletop exercise but cancel "some costly field training that requires large-scale movements of troops". He said reducing or suspending drills matters because allied commanders change over time, and a one-year suspension could mean some of those resuming the drills would be unfamiliar with the procedures. Jung Chang Wook, who heads the Korea Defense Study Forum in Seoul, said Trump’s decision could lead to the US reducing other regular exercises with South Korea, causing "a big, crippling blow" to their joint operational posture. Lee Illwoo of the Korea Defense Network said a reduced exercise could delay the planned transfer to a wartime operational control system under which a binational command led by a South Korean general would take charge. At present, the US military would command joint forces in the event of war.The South Korean and US militaries had earlier said this year’s exercise would help preparations for that transfer. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday that the transition should be completed during his term, which ends in 2030. For now, Trump’s order has cast uncertainty over one of the allies’ main joint exercises, with questions over readiness, future drills and the broader direction of the US-South Korea alliance.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 18, 2026 20:08 IST