President Lee Jaemyung's planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, which was to take place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, faced the risk of being canceled on June 16 (local time) due to President Trump's early return to the United States. President Trump decided to return early that night as military clashes between Israel and Iran intensified. The presidential office stated that it is still checking the situation.
An official from the presidential office told reporters, "The summit with the United States was virtually scheduled for tomorrow. Even the time had been set." The official added, "Since the breaking news about President Trump's early return just came out, we are still confirming the situation."
There had been expectations that President Lee would hold a summit with President Trump on June 17 during the G7 summit. However, with President Trump opting for an early return, there is growing speculation that the likelihood of the summit has significantly decreased.
Some observers suggest that President Trump could still have a face-to-face meeting with President Lee before his departure, so the possibility of a summit has not been completely ruled out. However, the presidential office has not provided a clear explanation on this matter.
In contrast, the likelihood of a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru is increasing. An official from the presidential office said, "There has been quite concrete progress regarding the Korea-Japan summit."
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