The joint US-South Korea military exercise 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' (UFS), ordered by US President Trump, will be significantly reduced in duration and scale and will end early. The UFS, originally scheduled to last 11 days, has been shortened to 5 days, the second phase (counterattack) exercise has been canceled, and outdoor maneuver training has also been drastically reduced. Trump's directive is interpreted as an attempt to send a conciliatory message to Chairman Kim Jong-un in preparation for a meeting by the end of the year. It is analyzed that the intention is to create conditions for resuming dialogue through the suspension of US-South Korea joint military exercises, which North Korea has been sensitive to.
