The South Korean and U.S. militaries have agreed to shorten their joint military drills at the request of the United States, South Korean officials confirmed on Wednesday. The allies' summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which began Monday, will now conclude on Friday instead of their originally scheduled end date of Aug. 27.
The decision follows an order from President Donald Trump to his Pentagon chief to "substantially reduce" the exercises. Trump cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran as reasons for the cuts.
In addition to shortening the overall duration, the allies have also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises. Many defense experts have expressed concern that Trump's decision could undermine combined U.S.-South Korean readiness and weaken their long-standing alliance.
North Korea has not publicly responded to Trump's directive regarding the drills. However, the North's state news agency previously criticized the U.S.-South Korean military exercises as "frantic" and "extremely dangerous," vowing to thwart perceived hostilities from its rivals.