North Korea shrugs off Trump’s scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing

North Korea stated that the U.S. decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea does not alter the provocative nature of these drills. This stance reduces expectations for a prompt diplomatic resumption between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump. Simultaneously, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile off its east coast, further escalating tensions despite the reduced scope of the joint military exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korea.