Trump cut Korea drills without warning Seoul, minister says

South Korea was not informed in advance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive to scale back joint military exercises with the United States, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on August 19, Yonhap reports. 

"Neither our government nor U.S. officials knew what President Trump wrote on his Truth Social," Cho told the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification. "We were not notified in advance," he said.

The South Korean and U.S. militaries have agreed to shorten the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises at Washington’s request, South Korean officials said. The drills began on August 17 and were initially scheduled to continue for 11 days.

South Korea’s military said the exercises will now end on August 21, six days earlier than planned, and that some joint field training activities will also be reduced.

Trump had ordered the Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” the scale of the exercises, citing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s decision not to participate in the U.S. war against Iran.

By Sabina Mammadli