(ATTN: UPDATES with JCS official's comments in paras 5-7)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States were set to wrap up their key military exercise Friday, nearly a week ahead of its original schedule after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a significant reduction in a move widely seen as a conciliatory gesture toward North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise has been cut short from 11 days to five, following Trump's directive to scale back drills that he said could send an "inappropriate and hostile" message to Pyongyang. Trump also cited the cost burden and his good relationship with Kim.

The UFS is one of the two major theater-level combined exercises the allies conduct annually to train for contingencies against North Korea.

While centered on computer-simulated command post training, the exercise also incorporates major field maneuvers based on various wartime contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.

The live drills have been scaled down from 14 to seven, which will run through next Friday as originally scheduled. The remaining seven exercises that have been removed from the lineup will be rescheduled through consultations with Washington, an official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

"The seven drills will proceed as planned and be wrapped up by the 28th, since the duration of each training varies by exercise," the JCS official said.

"As for the adjusted drills, we will closely work together with Washington to devise measures so that they will be carried out in a combat-realistic manner," he added.

Counterattack-oriented drills, typically held during the second week of the UFS, were canceled after the exercise was cut in half, leaving this year's drills focused mainly on defensive operations.

The allies were reportedly discussing earlier whether to hold live drills separately or have South Korea conduct them alone, with some field maneuvers potentially postponed.

Seoul has appeared to favor adjusting the field exercise schedule rather than calling off the drills, as the field training is critical to its push for an expedited transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington.

Trump's order to cut back the drills is widely seen as a strategic conciliatory gesture aimed at resuming talks with Kim. The shift to diplomacy is also expected to give the U.S. president a chance to divert attention from stalled progress in the Iran conflict ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in the U.S.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday (U.S. time), Trump again extended an olive branch to the reclusive leader, saying he expects to meet with Kim later this year.

North Korea has shrugged off the reduction of the drills, stating that it has no interest in the decision and that the move does not change the aggressive nature of the exercise.

elly@yna.co.kr

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