US drill cuts threaten South Korea’s wartime command plans

South Korea’s push to regain wartime control of its military has been thrown into doubt after the United States abruptly cut short a major joint exercise, scrapping plans for a simulated counteroffensive into North Korean territory and encirclement of Pyongyang. Defence analysts warn scaling back the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise could weaken the allies’ deterrence posture at a sensitive moment, even as Seoul seeks greater self-reliance in managing security on the Korean peninsula. US...