US-led drills to end six days early, South Korea says, amid Trump push for Kim Jong-un talks

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise would end on 21 August at the request of the US Analysis: In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy? South Korea’s military has confirmed that joint military drills with the US will be cut short, days after Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back the exercises. In a statement on Wednesday, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said at the request of the US side, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise – which began on Monday would end on Friday, six days earlier than originally planned. Separately, joint field training exercises, live outdoor drills held alongside the simulated command exercise, would also be “partially reduced”, though the two militaries were still working out the details, the statement said. A Pentagon official later confirmed the US ⁠military was “substantially” reducing joint ⁠exercises with South ⁠Korea. Trump said on Sunday he was “not happy” with US participation in the exercise, citing his “very good relationship” with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and describing the drills as costly and “hostile” to