The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17, will be cut from 11 days to five and will now end on August 21, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Tuesday. The adjustment to the duration of the drills was agreed at Washington’s suggestion, the JCS said, adding that some combined field manoeuvre training would also be scaled back.
According to South Korean media, Seoul’s Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the allies were moving to cancel the second phase of the drills, which had been expected to involve counterattack operations after an initial defensive phase.