“The U.S. Marine Corps called off biennial drills with South Korea on Monday, one week after President Trump unexpectedly ordered the downscaling of separate Ulchi Freedom Shield drills last week.”
“While Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 saw its duration cut in half hours before its commencement last Monday, due to Mr. Trump’s apparent desire to reopen communications with North Korea, the U.S. Marine Corps cited force constraints due to Middle Eastern deployments, according to a Korean military briefing this Monday.”
“The Ssangyong (‘Double Dragon’) drills are large-scale amphibious drills held on South Korea’s eastern seaboard.”
“U.S. Marines, South Korean Marines, naval and air assets and sometimes specialist contingents from foreign forces, such as Britain’s Royal Marines, deploy.”
“The drills were halted due to diplomatic outreach to North Korea from 2019 to 2022, but they returned on their largest scale ever in 2023 and then again in 2024.”
“In March, some 2,000 U.S. Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa, Japan, along with the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, were sent to the Middle East.”