North Korea threatens to cancel Trump summit over military drills

DONALD TRUMP’S historic meeting with Kim Jong-un was thrown into uncertainty last night as North Korea warned it could be cancelled in response to US military exercises. The North’s Korean Central News Agency unexpectedly announced talks with South Korea had been postponed just hours before they were due to start because of the military drills.

America was also warned that “careful deliberations” would need to take place over whether to go ahead with Mr Trump’s planned meeting with Kim.

The reaction was to the “Max Thunder” joint military exercises between America and South Korea that reportedly involve 100 war planes, including B-52 bombers. The news blindsided the US State Department, which said it had received no “formal or informal” notification the meeting was off. A spokesman said there was nothing “provocative” about the military drills.

A White House spokesman later said: “We are aware of the South Korean media report. The United States will look at what North Korea has said independently, and continue to coordinate closely with our allies.”

Last week it was announced that Mr Trump would meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The meeting was the culmination of a diplomatic drive by North Korea that saw Kim meet Moon Jaein, South Korea’s president, last month.