US-South Korea drills cut short after Trump criticism

SEOUL: Annual war games between South Korea and the United States will end nearly a week earlier than planned, Seoul's military said on Wednesday (Aug 19), after US President Donald Trump ordered the "inappropriate and hostile" drills scaled back.

Trump said on Sunday that he had ordered the Pentagon to scale back the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, a day before they got underway.

He cited his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said the manouevres, designed to prepare for a possible attack by Pyongyang, were hostile towards a country that had been respectful to him.

He also praised Kim and criticised Seoul for not supporting his war against Iran.

North Korean state media criticised the drills on Wednesday as a "most immediate and open threat", without mentioning Trump's order.

Hours later, Seoul's military said the drills would wrap up on Aug 21, not on Aug 27, as originally planned.

"We have decided to adjust the UFS exercise period to run from the 17th to the 21st," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The nuclear-armed North has long voiced outrage at the exercises, considering them dress rehearsals for an invasion.

A commentary by the state-run Korean Central News Agency repeated that position, saying the "drill poses the most immediate and open threat" to North Korea and "regional security".

It was titled: "We Will Exercise Our Right to Self-defence for Neutralising Military Threat from Hostile Forces through More Transparent Action."

It did not mention Trump's order or his desire to resume talks with Kim, with whom he hinted at being in contact.

Trump on Monday said Kim had responded to his overtures, but did not provide details.

The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country's defences, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.