A US Department of Defense official confirmed that the joint military exercise between the US and South Korea “Eulchi Freedom Shield” will end on the 21st, nearly a week ahead of schedule. The Department of Defense official said that according to the instructions of US President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth, the scale of this joint exercise has been “drastically reduced,” “related actual military exercises have been reduced, and some projects have been cancelled or converted to simulated exercises.” South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement on the 19th local time saying that the South Korea-US “Eulji Freedom Shield” joint military exercise, which was originally scheduled to be held from the 17th to the 27th, will end 6 days early on the 21st, and the schedule will be shortened by more than half. The statement said that according to the US proposal, South Korea and the US have decided to adjust some of the details of the exercise, such as the time and scale. The two sides have decided to reduce part of the joint field mobility training, and the details of the adjustments are still being discussed. Trump said in a social media post on the 16th that he has asked the US Department of Defense to drastically reduce the scale of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. He claimed that these military exercises were “extremely expensive,” a large part of which was borne by the United States, and at the same time sent a “completely inappropriate and hostile signal” against North Korea.

A US Department of Defense official confirmed that the joint military exercise between the US and South Korea “Eulchi Freedom Shield” will end on the 21st, nearly a week ahead of schedule. The Department of Defense official said that according to the instructions of US President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth, the scale of this joint exercise has been “drastically reduced,” “related actual military exercises have been reduced, and some projects have been cancelled or converted to simulated exercises.” South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement on the 19th local time saying that the South Korea-US “Eulji Freedom Shield” joint military exercise, which was originally scheduled to be held from the 17th to the 27th, will end 6 days early on the 21st, and the schedule will be shortened by more than half. The statement said that according to the US proposal, South Korea and the US have decided to adjust some of the details of the exercise, such as the time and scale. The two sides have decided to reduce part of the joint field mobility training, and the details of the adjustments are still being discussed. Trump said in a social media post on the 16th that he has asked the US Department of Defense to drastically reduce the scale of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. He claimed that these military exercises were “extremely expensive,” a large part of which was borne by the United States, and at the same time sent a “completely inappropriate and hostile signal” against North Korea.