Trump elaborated later Monday that he was referring to raids on churches and on a U.S. military base by the new South Korean government, which they “probably shouldn't have done,” the president argued.

The U.S. President said he wanted to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year and was open to further trade talks with South Korea even as he lobbed new criticisms at the visiting Asian ally.

North Korea said U.S.-South Korea joint military drills proved Washington's intention to "occupy" the Korean peninsula and aim at its enemy countries in the region, state media reported. "If they continuously persist in the military rehearsal,