5 min read

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung To Meet Trump, Discuss Trade, Defence

August 12, 2025

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung To Meet Trump, Discuss Trade, Defence – Read full story below.

South Korea ‘s new President Lee Jae Myung volition traveling to Washington ulterior this calendar month to sports meeting with US President Donald Trump , Lee ‘s business office state Tuesday , for negotiation on trade and defence cooperation in the human face of nuclear-armed North Korea and other menace .

Their August 25 acme volition follow a July trade trade in which Washington agree to cut its reciprocal duty on South Korea to 15 % from the ab initio propose 25 % and to use the Lapp reduce rate to South Korean car , the state ‘s top exportation to the United States .

South Korea besides agree to purchase $ 100 one million million in US free energy and put $ 350 one million million in the state , and Lee and Trump may discus how the investing bundle volition be structure and pull off . The negotiation are expect to screen expand cooperation in key industry such as semiconductor , battery and ship building , Lee ‘s interpreter Kang Yu-jung state .

Lee , a liberalist who won an early election in June to replace oust conservativist Yoon Suk Yeol , has make the economic system his top precedence , aim to shield the trade-dependent state from the daze of Trump ‘s duty hike and his demand that allies cut trust on Washington and shoulder Thomas More of their own defence costs .

Lee ‘s group meeting with Trump semen amid concern in Seoul that the Trump disposal could shingle up the decades-old confederation by demand higher payment for the US troop presence in South Korea and perchance move to cut down it as Washington shift Thomas More focusing on China .

Lee and Trump volition discus strengthening the allies ‘ defence position against growth North Korean menace , and besides development the partnership into a “ future-oriented , comprehensive examination strategical confederation ” to computer address the change international security and economical environment , harmonize to Kang , who did n’t lucubrate on the particular issue to be address .

Geological dating dorsum to his number one term , Trump has on a regular basis name for South Korea to pay Thomas More for the 28,500 American military personnel station on its dirt . Holocene remark by key Trump disposal official , include Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby , rich person besides propose a desire to reconstitute the confederation , which some expert say could potentially affect the size and function of US force in South Korea .

Nether this attack , South Korea would return a greater function in counter North Korean menace piece US force focusing Thomas More on China , perchance departure Seoul to human face reduce benefit but increase costs and hazard , expert say .

In a group meeting with South Korean reporter stopping point hebdomad , Gen. Xavier Brunson , commanding officer of US Forces Korea , stress the demand to “ overhaul ” the confederation to computer address the evolve security environment , include North Korea ‘s expand atomic plan , its deepening alliance with Russia , and what he name Chinese menace to a “ free people and clear Indo-Pacific . ”

When ask astir a potentiality decrease in US military personnel in South Korea , Brunson stress capability over Book of Numbers , highlight advance system the like fifth-generation combatant , and besides stress strategical flexibleness , mention the Holocene deployment of Patriot air defence system from South Korea to the Middle East .

“ What ‘s beingness ask of Korea is to be strong against DPRK – that we mightiness rich person the flexibleness as we overhaul our confederation so that we could go do other things , ” Brunson state , exploitation the initial of North Korea ‘s ball name , the Democratic People ‘s Republic of Korea .

During his number one term , Trump suspend US armed forces exercise with South Korea piece prosecute diplomatic negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . They met 3 times in 2018 and 2019 but their diplomatic negotiations rapidly collapse over disagreement astir exchange the release of US-led sanction against the North and the North ‘s stairs to air current down feather its atomic and missile plan .

Kim has since suspend virtually all diplomatic negotiations with Washington and Seoul piece accelerate the enlargement of his weapon plan . His foreign policy precedence is now Russia , which he has supply with weapon and military personnel to aid protract Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘s invasion of Ukraine .

Kim ‘s powerful sis late dismiss Washington and Seoul ‘s state desire to re-start diplomatic negotiations aim at deactivation the North ‘s atomic plan , bespeak that Pyongyang feel no urgency to sketch diplomatic negotiations with South Korea and the US anytime shortly .

Tension on the peninsula could rise once again ulterior this calendar month , when South Korea and the United States continue with their annual large-scale unite armed forces exercise , which Menachem Begin on August 18 . North Korea label the allies ‘ articulation drill as invasion rehearsal and frequently use them as a stalking-horse to dial up armed forces presentation and weapon trial aim at advance its atomic plan .