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· collected 2026-08-19 · by Malek Fouda, Gavin Blackburn
North Korean state media has condemned joint US-South military drills as a "most immediate and open threat" to regional security, despite the US scaling back the exercises at the request of President Trump. The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills will now end on Friday instead of August 27, with the second phase focused on counteroffensive operations being scrapped entirely. This comes after Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the annual exercises, citing them as "inappropriate and hostile". Around 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to bolster the country's defenses against potential threats from North Korea.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would be scaling back US military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good" relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and claiming that the exercises were expensive. The annual drills, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, were originally scheduled to run from August 13-27, but have been reduced in scope and scale at the direction of Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The decision has caused alarm among South Koreans, who rely heavily on the US for their security, as well as other US allies in the region. North Korea has been threatening a "new level" of nuclear deterrence in response to the planned drills, which Pyongyang state media called "a rehearsal for an invasion war."
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who had previously floated the idea of reducing joint military exercises with the US as a tool for drawing North Korea back to the table, has renewed his calls for wartime operational control of the military and progress on South Korea's nuclear submarine programme.
The decision to cut short the drills marks a significant shift in Trump's approach to North Korea, which he had previously criticized for its missile tests and threats. Trump added that US involvement in the exercises would send a "signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said has been "unthreatening and respectful" to his presidency.
The move has also sparked concerns among analysts and US senators about Trump's willingness to prioritize North Korean denuclearization over South Korea's security. Some have criticized Trump's approach as naive, citing the recent spate of North Korean missile tests and threats.
Written for “US-South Korea Military Tensions” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 21 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
No quote from the article could be verified for this score. The
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there is nothing here for you to read against the original.
Leaning score -0.35 for article 1356 (low confidence, 0 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-21
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump stunned regional allies by ordering the Pentagon to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, just a day before they were due to start.
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they → stun → exercises
North Korean state media slammed joint military drills by the United States and South Korea on Wednesday as a "most immediate and open threat," while not mentioning US President Donald Trump's order to curtail the exercises.
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media → slam → exercises
The nuclear-armed North has long voiced outrage at the drills, considering them dress rehearsals for an invasion.
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them → arm → invasion
A commentary by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) repeated that position, saying the "drill poses the most immediate and open threat" to North Korea and "regional security".
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drill → run → Korea
The commentary was titled: "We Will Exercise Our Right to Self-defence for Neutralising Military Threat from Hostile Forces through More Transparent Action."
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We → title → Action
On Sunday, Trump stunned allies in the region by ordering the Pentagon to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, just a day before they were due to start.
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they → stun → exercises
He called the drills "inappropriate and hostile," while praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and criticising Seoul for not supporting his war against Iran.
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drills → call → Iran
The commentary from Pyongyang did not mention Trump's drawdown order at all, nor the US president's stated desire to resume talks with Kim.
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commentary → mention → Kim
Trump said on Monday that Kim had responded to his overtures, but did not provide further details.
Curtailed drills
Annual war games between South Korea and the US will end around a week earlier than planned, both countries said on Wednesday, after Trump ordered them scaled back.
Seoul's military said the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills would wrap up on Friday, not on 27 August as originally planned.
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drills → say → August
"We have decided to adjust the UFS exercise period to run from the 17th to the 21st," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
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Chiefs → decide → statement
The decision was made "at the suggestion of the US side," it added.
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it → make → side
The Pentagon said the "substantially reduced" drills would "preserve essential readiness and...(cause) no degradation to US training objectives."
The exercises are designed to prepare for a possible attack by North Korea.
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exercises → say → Korea
They were understood to consist of two phases: the first, focused on defending against potential North Korean threats, was due to run until Friday; and the second, focused on a counteroffensive, from 24-27 August.
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first → understand → August
The second phase is now understood to have been scrapped.
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phase → understand → ?
The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country's defences, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
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that → station → armistice
Trump has repeatedly criticised longstanding US alliances, casting doubt on Washington's commitment to security in East Asia and alarming regional partners.
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Trump → criticise → partners
