# South Korea’s defence ministry announced its annual joint military drills with the US will be cut short by six days at the request of Washington. Seoul said that the “period and scale” of the 2026 Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise had been adjusted due to a proposal by the US side. The drill will now conclude on Friday rather than 27 August as planned. It comes after Donald Trump announced plans to curtail exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
South Korea shortens military exercises with US