Seoul, Aug. 21 -- In a significant policy shift, South Korea and the United States wrapped up their primary theatre-level combined military exercise nearly a week ahead of schedule following orders from US President Donald Trump, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, typically an 11-day event focused on command-post simulations and live field manoeuvres for Korean Peninsula contingencies, was halved to five days.

President Trump cited high financial costs, his personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and concerns over sending an "inappropriate and hostile" message to Pyongyang as key reasons for scaling back the operations.

The roll-back in the exercise is being widely seen as a...