Drills cut by Trump are central to the US-South Korea alliance,
observers say
[August 19, 2026]
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — For decades, the United States and South Korea
have regularly staged military drills to prepare their soldiers to work
together smoothly in the event of a crisis or conflict with North Korea.
But this year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, one of two main drills
conducted by the allies annually, could be disrupted after U.S.
President Donald Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially”
scale it back just before its start Monday.
He cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.
It was unclear what parts of the 11-day exercise were being cut and to
what extent, but many experts say Trump's move threatens to hurt
combined U.S.-South Korean readiness and eventually weaken their
decades-long alliance.
The exercise is central to the US-South Korea alliance
The Ulchi Freedom Shield, or UFS, is largely a computer-simulated
command post exercise meant to hone the allies' ability to deal with
potential regional security threats like North Korean aggression. The
two countries usually hold field training exercises during the command
post exercise period.
South Korea's military had earlier said this year's exercise would be
similar in scale to previous years, with the participation of about
18,000 South Korean soldiers. The U.S. military said it would
incorporate lessons from recent conflicts such as North Korea’s
battlefield experiences on the Russia-Ukraine front. Local media
reported South Korea and the U.S. had planned 14 field training
exercises.
The UFS, along with a similar joint war game in the spring, is a central
pillar of the U.S. -South Korea alliance, which dates back to the
1950-53 Korean War. But it's also a long-running source of tensions with
North Korea, which has denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for war
and responded with provocative missile tests.
On Friday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. and South
Korea of plotting more provocative drills this year and vowed to respond
with “a new level of a deterrent.” The U.S. and South Korea have said
their regular drills are defensive in nature.
Field training will likely be affected by Trump's decision
In a social media post, Trump called the exercise costly, "with much of
these costs paid for by the United States of America.” During his first
term, Trump complained about the cost of drills with South Korea,
suspending joint exercises in 2018 to advance now-stalled nuclear
negotiations with North Korea.
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The U.S. Army's armored vehicles gather to cross a river at a
training field in Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North
Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed
in South Korea, visited South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back
on Tuesday for talks likely focusing on the adjustment of this
year’s drills, according to media reports. South Korea’s Defense
Ministry said it couldn’t confirm the reports.
Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies,
said the U.S. will likely participate in the command post exercise
but cancel “some costly field training that requires large-scale
movements of troops."
Yang said that a downsizing or suspension of military drills matters
because commanders of the allies change periodically. He said a
one-year suspension of drills would see commanders unfamiliar with
procedures of those drills taking part when they resume.
Trump's move could strain the US-South Korea alliance
Jung Chang Wook, head of the Korea Defense Study Forum think tank in
Seoul, said Trump’s move could result in the U.S. downsizing other
regular drills with South Korea, posing “a big, crippling blow” to
their joint operation posture.
Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network, said
downsizing the exercise will likely delay the planned transfer to a
system in which wartime operational control would be exercised by a
binational command led by a South Korean general.
Under the current system, the U.S. military would command joint
forces in the event of war.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries had earlier said the exercise
would be an opportunity to support preparations for the transfer.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday stressed the need to
complete the transition during his term that ends in 2030.
Many South Koreans view the transition to South Korean leadership of
the combined forces in wartime to be a matter of national
sovereignty, but others worry that could weaken the alliance.
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