By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Defense Department said Monday that it has "no changes" to announce regarding the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercise, a day after President Donald Trump said he instructed the Pentagon to "substantially" reduce allied exercises.

Trump unveiled his directive on the combined exercises with South Korea in a social media post on Sunday, as Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise intended to strengthen the allies' capabilities against potential North Korean aggression.

"We have no changes to announce regarding Ulchi Freedom Shield 2026 at this time," a Pentagon official told Yonhap News Agency via email.

He referred questions regarding Trump's comments or the broader scope of his policy direction to the White House.

The White House did not respond immediately to questions from Yonhap News Agency.

In Sunday's Truth Social post, Trump announced his directive to scale back exercises with South Korea, noting that the drills are not only "costly" but also send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to the North.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

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