The United States and South Korea have significantly curtailed their annual combined military exercise after President Donald Trump ordered a reduction in the drills via a social media post, catching Seoul off guard and raising fresh questions about the reliability of a security alliance that has underpinned the Korean Peninsula's stability since the 1950–53 Korean War.

The exercise in question, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), was already under way when Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday calling for the Pentagon to