US President Donald Trump on Thursday mentioned that his first summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung would take place “within the next two weeks” in Washington.
The remark, via Truth Social, was included in Trump's announcement that Washington and Seoul reached a trade deal in which the US will impose 15 percent tariffs on South Korea.
If the summit between Trump and Lee takes place in the timeframe the US president mentioned, the two leaders would likely discuss the follow-up of the trade deal.
Trump, for instance, mentioned that “South Korea has agreed to invest a large sum of money for their Investment purposes” and that the figure would be announced when Lee visits the White House.
Another topic is likely to be a potential change in the role of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea amid Washington’s shifting security priorities.
Seoul officials have repeatedly said that they have yet to hold any discussions on the possibility of withdrawing or downsizing USFK.
The Trump administration has also been increasing pressure on Seoul to shoulder more defense costs in maintaining USFK on the peninsula. In response, Seoul officials reiterated the need to uphold the latest South Korea-US defense cost-sharing deal for the 2026-2030 period, signed during the previous Joe Biden administration.
Seoul is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.1 billion) next year for the stationing of USFK here, under the 12th Special Measures Agreement signed with Washington. The figure is up 1.4 trillion won this year.
When asked about the summit mentioned by Trump, Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom told reporters that details of the potential meeting would be arranged through diplomatic channels. Seoul’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday.
Though Lee envisioned his first in-person meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit held in Canada last month, it failed to take place as Trump abruptly returned to Washington due to the conflict between Israel and Iran.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
