Phone Call Between the Leaders of Both Countries
First Conversation in 78 Days Since President Trump's Inauguration
Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 8th, the Prime Minister's Office announced. This marks the first phone call between the leaders of South Korea and the United States since the launch of the second Trump administration.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Acting President Han began the call with President Trump at around 9 p.m. local time (8 a.m. on the 4th local time in the U.S.) from his office at the Government Seoul Complex.
The call between the two leaders started at 9:03 p.m. and ended at 9:31 p.m., lasting approximately 28 minutes. This was the first communication between the two leaders since President Trump's inauguration on January 20, 78 days prior.
After his election, President Trump spoke with former President Yoon Seok-youl for 12 minutes on November 7 last year, discussing trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, the Korea-U.S. alliance, and North Korea's stance on the Ukraine war. The two leaders agreed to meet soon, but the emergency martial law situation on December 3 and the impeachment proceedings against former President Yoon delayed contact between the two heads of state.
Acting President Han spoke with then-U.S. President Joe Biden on December 15 last year, but after being impeached on December 27, he was unable to make contact with President Trump.
During the call, Acting President Han and President Trump are believed to have discussed security issues including strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance, trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and responding to North Korea's nuclear issue, as well as trade and commerce matters such as the U.S.'s imposition of reciprocal tariffs.
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