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North Korea shrugs off Trump’s scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing
The allies shortened the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise to Friday after Washington said the drills were costly and too provocative, officials said.
- On Wednesday, South Korean and U.S. militaries confirmed they are scaling back the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" them, with drills now ending Friday instead of Aug. 27.
- Trump cited cost savings and claimed the drills send signals "totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea, which he said has been "unthreatening and respectful," while also citing South Korea's refusal to support him on Iran denuclearization.
- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back confirmed during parliamentary hearings Wednesday that neither nation's officials were informed before Trump announced the reduction, highlighting friction in alliance management.
- North Korea's state media labeled the drills "frantic" and "extremely dangerous," vowing to "completely neutralize" military threats, while analyst Yang Uk at Seoul's Asan Institute warned the suspension risks military readiness as unfamiliar commanders would lead future exercises.
- Trump's move mirrors his 2018 abrupt cancellation of war games after his first summit with Kim, though their subsequent 2018-2019 diplomacy collapsed over sanctions relief disputes, raising concerns the pattern may repeat as the alliance faces repeated disruptions to joint training.
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North Korea shrugs off Trump's scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing
North Korea says the U.S. decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea doesn't change what it views as their provocative nature.
·New York, United States
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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.
·Noida, India
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Total News Sources9
Leaning Left7Leaning Right2Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution78% Left
Bias Distribution
- 78% of the sources lean Left
78% Left
L 78%
R 22%
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