US drill cuts threaten South Korea’s wartime command plans

AdvertisementSouth KoreaThis Week in AsiaPoliticsUS drill cuts threaten South Korea’s wartime command plansBy cutting Ulchi Freedom Shield short, Washington may have set back Seoul’s bid to reclaim wartime military command delegated decades ago 3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenPark Chan-kyongPublished: 8:00am, 20 Aug 2026Updated: 8:06am, 20 Aug 2026South Korea’s push to regain wartime control of its military has been thrown into doubt after the United States abruptly cut short a major joint exercise, scrapping plans for a simulated counteroffensive into North Korean territory and encirclement of Pyongyang.Defence analysts warn scaling back the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise could weaken the allies’ deterrence posture at a sensitive moment, even as Seoul seeks greater self-reliance in managing security on the Korean peninsula.US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Monday to “substantially reduce” the “costly” drills, describing them as a “totally inappropriate and hostile” signal to North Korea while citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.The allies had initially planned for the UFS exercise, which began on Monday, to run until August 27. The second phase was reportedly set to include a simulated counteroffensive against North Korea, including the encirclement of its capital. US soldiers conduct a training exercise on a river in Yeoncheon, near the border between South and North Korea, on Tuesday. Photo: APBut the exercise will now end on Friday – marking the first time a theatre-level US-South Korea exercise has been cut short or scaled back while already under way. AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x