August 27, 2025

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung brought a mix of charm and serious talk during his very first meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Right away, Lee urged Trump to take the lead in restarting talks with North Korea. And with a big smile, he threw in a fun idea: “I look forward to your meeting with the chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea and construction of a Trump Tower in North Korea and playing golf at that place.” This joke caught attention and showed how much Seoul depends on Washington for handling the tricky North Korea issue. Lee praised Trump’s unique style in diplomacy, saying, “The only person who can make progress is you Mr President. If you become the peacemaker, then I will assist you by being a pacemaker.” He even admired the newly redecorated Oval Office, calling it “very bright and beautiful” and a symbol of America’s new future and prosperity. Trump received Lee warmly, congratulating him on his election win: “We’ve known each other and gotten along very well. It’s a great honor to be with you and congratulations on your election. That was a big one, and we’re with you 100 per cent.” When asked about meeting North Korea’s leader, Trump said he was open for it: “I’d like to have a meeting. I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong Un in the appropriate future.” He also spoke positively of their past chats, saying, “I spent a lot of free time with him, talking about things that we probably aren’t supposed to talk about. I get along with him really well.” But the mood outside the White House was tense. North Korea ignored Seoul’s recent outreach and instead tested two new air defence missiles just days before Lee’s visit. Inside, tensions were not far away as Trump had posted a cryptic message on Truth Social about a possible “Purge or Revolution” in South Korea. This related to investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces charges after a controversial year. However, Trump later called this a misunderstanding. On other regional issues, Trump mentioned hearing about church raids in South Korea but said, “didn’t sound to me like South Korea.” Lee assured investigations were underway, and Trump said he was confident they would “work it out.” However, the big talks on trade and defence did not see much progress. Trump criticized South Korea’s defence spending and suggested changing the lease of US military bases, where around 28,500 US troops are stationed. On trade, South Korea agreed to invest a massive $350 billion in the US, including $150 billion for shipbuilding. Korean Air announced a $50 billion purchase of Boeing planes, and Hyundai will boost its US investment to $26 billion. But Trump said tariffs on South Korean goods will stay at 15% for now, stating, “I think we have a deal done. They had some problems with it, but we stuck to our guns.” Lee also warned about North Korea’s growing nuclear power, claiming Pyongyang can now make 10 to 20 nuclear weapons a year. He said, “The situation is deteriorating.” US officials back this up, noting North Korea’s move towards advanced hypersonic missiles and multiple warheads. The North’s ties with Russia, including reports of troops sent to fight in Ukraine, make things even more complex. The visit ended with Lee gifting Trump a golf putter, two cowboy hats with Trump’s campaign slogan, and a model turtle ship—a symbol of Korea’s naval strength. He joked again about playing golf in Pyongyang if a Trump Tower is built there. Trump smiled and said, “I will do that, and we’ll have talks. He’d like to meet with me. We look forward to meeting with him, and we’ll make relations better. You’ll help that.” Despite the fun moments, the meeting showed big challenges ahead. South Korea relies heavily on the US for security and economic support, but fights remain over defence costs, trade tariffs, and North Korea’s nuclear threat. Both know they must work together, but many tough questions still hang in the air.

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Tags: Donald trump, Lee jae-myung, North korea, Us-south korea relations, Nuclear weapons, Trade deal,