〈Anchor〉
The South Korean and U.S. military authorities have decided to wrap up the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), on the 21st, which is six days earlier than originally planned. This decision follows U.S. President Trump's instruction to scale down joint exercises. While the command post exercise is typically conducted in two parts, only Part 1 will be carried out, and more than 10 out of the 14 scheduled joint field training exercises are expected to be canceled.
Reporter Kim Hye-young has the details.
〈Reporter〉
The South Korea-U.S. joint exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), which kicked off on the 17th, will come to an early close on the 21st.
Originally scheduled to run until the 27th, the total training period has been effectively cut in half.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff made the announcement, stating, "At the suggestion of the U.S. side, we have decided to partially adjust the training period and scale."
UFS consists of a command post exercise and field maneuvers. The command post exercise is divided into Part 1, focusing on defense, and Part 2, focusing on counterattacks. South Korea and the U.S. plan to conduct only Part 1, which is scheduled through the day after tomorrow.
When asked whether Part 2 of the exercise would be canceled, Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back said, "It seems to be heading in the direction of cancellation."
Out of the 14 joint field training exercises previously agreed upon by South Korea and the U.S., more than 10 will be called off.
The two allies are currently discussing alternatives, such as conducting some of the originally planned training separately by each country, replacing them with South Korean unilateral drills, or spreading them out throughout the year.
This adjustment comes after U.S. President Trump publicly expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea-U.S. joint exercises and instructed the U.S. Secretary of Defense to scale them down.
It is unprecedented for a theater-level South Korea-U.S. joint exercise that has already commenced to have its duration and scale reduced at the request of the U.S. side.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that South Korea and the U.S. will additionally discuss and implement various measures to achieve the training objectives of UFS and establish a firm combined defense posture.
(Camera: Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing: Lee Seung-hee)
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