DOD suspends planning for Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise in South Korea

The Pentagon announced late this afternoon it has "suspended all planning" for the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise held in South Korea every August.

DOD's announcement comes after Trump met last week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and announced he was "stopping the war games" with South Korea, citing the "tremendous amount of money" it would save the federal government.

According to a statement issued Monday by Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White, the decision was "consistent with President Trump's commitment and in concert with our Republic of Korea ally."

"We are still coordinating additional actions. No decisions on subsequent wargames have been made," she added.

The annual exercise "is a computer-simulated defensive exercise designed to enhance readiness, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula," according to a Pentagon statement issued last August. Last year, about 17,500 U.S. servicemembers participated, with about 3,000 coming from installations outside South Korea.

A meeting at the Pentagon will take place "later this week with the secretary of defense, secretary of state and the national security adviser on this issue," White said today. "There is no impact on Pacific exercises outside of the Korean Peninsula."

Trump's suspension of military exercises with South Korea has been met with mixed results on Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers supporting his decision and others opposing it.