South Korea has long come under targeted criticism from Trump, who has called it a "money machine" that takes advantage of American military protection.

Donald Trump chided South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung hours before he was due to host the country’s leftwing leader at the White House, heralding tense talks on trade and the US’s military presence on the peninsula.

ULSAN, South Korea - When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meets with President Donald Trump for the first time on Monday, he will arrive at the White House with a gift that’s sure to please Trump: South Korea’s shipbuilding prowess.