politics
U.S., South Korea cut short their joint military drills at Trump's direction
August 18, 2026 / 10:26 PM EDT / CBS/AP
TL;DR
- South Korea and U.S. militaries agreed to shorten joint drills.
- The decision followed an order from President Trump to scale back the exercises.
- The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises will conclude one week early.
- Some live-training events have been reduced or canceled.
- Experts express concern over potential impacts on readiness and the alliance.
- North Korea criticized the drills as dangerous and vowed to frustrate rivals.