- Donald Trump announced plans to substantially reduce 11-day joint military exercises with South Korea hours before they were scheduled to begin on Monday.
- The US President cited his very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, describing the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills as costly and inappropriate.
- Trump also revealed he had asked South Korea to assist in the denuclearisation of Iran, but Seoul declined the request.
- South Korea's defence ministry stated that the joint military exercises would proceed as previously notified and scheduled despite Trump's comments.
- Critics and military experts warned that scaling back the drills could damage alliance coordination and weaken deterrence against North Korean aggression.
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