US, South Korea to cut length, scope of military drills after Trump order

South Korea and the United States will cut short annual joint military drills to five days from 11 and scale back some field training, the allies said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in U.S. participation.



The change in the drills comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday for regional security talks expected to cover developments on the Korean peninsula.



The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17, will now run through August 21, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and a Pentagon official said, instead of the original end date of August 27.



South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the allies were moving to cancel the drills' second phase, media said, adding that it had been expected to involve counterattack operations after an initial defensive phase.



At the suggestion of the United States, the countries agreed on partial adjustments to the duration and scope of the drills, the JCS said. Some combined field manoeuvre training would also be scaled back, although details were still being discussed.



A U.S. Department of Defense official said the department had substantially reduced the exercise and associated live-training events, with some cancelled or switched to simulations.