South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated that Donald Trump intends to focus on North Korea's nuclear program following an agreement with Iran. Trump reportedly told Lee at a G7 dinner that "the time had come to pay attention to the North Korea issue."
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party won local elections, securing key mayoral seats in Busan but losing Seoul to incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Meanwhile, North Korea's Kim Jong-un vowed to bolster nuclear forces after inspecting a new facility, and the KOSPI stock index fell amid profit-taking.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the military operation against Iran, costing an estimated $25 billion, by citing North Korea's nuclear program as the lesson to learn. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Hegseth argued Iran's strategy mirrors North Korea's approach of building a conventional missile shield to pursue nuclear weapons. He stressed that President Trump's decision to launch the strike was a bold move to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities.
