President Donald Trump was forced to cancel a trip, previously kept under wraps, to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, on Wednesday during his tour of Asia.
The trip to the South Korean border with North Korea was canceled as a result of heavy fog, which made travel by helicopter dangerous. Trump was preparing to make the visit along with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders first told the media about the trip shortly before it was to occur, according to press pool reports. Sanders told the press, "this is where we're going" while displaying a sheet of paper containing "DMZ."
The helicopters took off from Yongsan Garrison, the headquarters for U.S. forces in South Korea, located in Seoul. Minutes later, they had to turn back as visibility became too poor.
The helicopters waited about an hour to again attempt the DMZ trip, but the weather only became worse.
Trump had received criticism before his trip for not saying he would visit the DMZ, a trip previously made by both Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. However, the press secretary said the planning for the trip had been going on since before Trump left the United States.