Seoul: South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced that adjustments to the joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States would be "inevitable" should a U.S.-North Korea summit occur in the first half of the following year. Speaking to reporters after a lecture at the 2025 Youth Festa in southern Seoul, Chung emphasized the sensitivity of the issue, stating that progressing toward a North Korea-U.S. summit is not feasible while continuing joint military drills.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung highlighted the necessity of arranging a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a prerequisite for resuming long-stalled inter-Korean relations. He expressed regret that the two leaders did not convene during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju on October 31 and November 1, suggesting that Pyongyang may have miscalculated its approach.

President Trump had shown interest in meeting Kim before his visit to Seoul last month, but the response from Pyongyang was absent. Chung pointed out that Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing in April could mark a "critical moment," urging the Seoul government to work diligently over the next five months to facilitate a North Korea-U.S. summit.