What did Kim Yo-jong say about the reduced Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise?

Kim Yo-jong said the U.S. decision to scale down Ulchi Freedom Shield pushed Seoul into canceling its war games with Washington. She framed the reduction as a humiliating result for South Korea after Trump ordered the drills cut back.

Why did Kim Yo-jong mention Lee Jae Myung in her statement?

Kim said Lee Jae Myung’s remarks showed South Korea’s uneasiness and impatience. She cited his comment that he respects the scaled-down drills while also pledging the independent buildup of military capabilities.

How did Kim Yo-jong characterize the U.S.-ROK military drills after the reduction?

She said the cutback was unprecedented because the drills were reduced after they had already begun and without prior discussion. She also said the reduced scale was an evident disaster for South Korean authorities and that U.S. security aid is no longer free of charge.

NK leader's sister says reduced military exercise put Seoul 'in poor plight of canceling war games'

Listen

Summary

Kim Yo-jong said Thursday that Washington’s decision to scale down the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise forced Seoul to cancel its war games with the United States. She said Donald Trump ordered the drills reduced and described South Korea’s reaction as evidence of uneasiness. She also criticized Lee Jae Myung’s remarks on the drills and military capability buildup.

Key Facts

Kim Yo-jong said the reduced scale of the UFS exercise forced Seoul to cancel its war games with the United States.
She said Trump issued a sudden order to reduce the scale of the drill.
Kim called Lee Jae Myung’s remarks double-dealing and linked them to South Korea’s uneasiness and impatience.
She said the reduced exercise scale was an evident disaster for South Korean authorities and called U.S. security aid no longer free of charge.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 20, 2026 10:07 pm KST
Updated Aug 20, 2026 10:22 pm KST

Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, is seen in this July 31, 2023, file photo. Yonhap

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Thursday that Washington's recent decision to scale down the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise has forced Seoul to cancel its "war games" with the United States.

Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement as South Korea and the U.S. scaled down the summertime annual combined exercise after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the drills to be reduced.

"Trump issued a sudden order to reduce the scale of the drill. This has placed Seoul in a poor plight of canceling 'war games' it liked very much," Kim said.

Kim also said that President Lee Jae Myung's "double-dealing remarks" show the uneasiness and impatience of South Korea, referring to Lee's remarks that he respects the scaling down of the drills while also pledging for the "independent buildup of military capabilities."

"It will be something like the first 'trouble' to the ROK, unprecedented in the history of U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, in the context that they have never seen the scale of war games reduced to become coreless after its kick-off with no prior discussion," she added, calling South Korea by an acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Kim added that the reduced scale of the exercise is "an evident disaster" for South Korean authorities that have been "blinded by their firm belief in the U.S. master."

"The world witnesses that the U.S. security aid is no longer free of charge," Kim said. "The whole territory of the ROK would be insufficient to gain favor with the cruel master."

Explore More