South Korea announces end of drills with US military after duration cut

The South Korean military informed Agence France-Presse that its annual joint exercises with the U.S. Army had concluded ahead of schedule, following an abrupt decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to shorten their duration.

A senior official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul confirmed that the drills had ended.

Under the original schedule, the exercises, which Trump had characterized as sending a “hostile signal” to nuclear-armed North Korea, were set to conclude on August 27.