Trump Raises Tensions Before Summit
Questions Legitimacy of New Administration with "Purge or Revolution" Remark
On August 25 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump made a controversial statement just three hours before the South Korea-U.S. summit, saying, "It seems like a purge or revolution is happening in South Korea."
On his own social networking service, Truth Social, President Trump wrote, "What is happening in South Korea? We cannot do business there."
He added, "Today, I am meeting the new president at the White House," and "Thank you for paying attention to this issue."
The "purge or revolution" mentioned by President Trump is interpreted as referring to the investigations and trials involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol and others. This is largely seen as a criticism of the Lee Jaemyung administration and could be interpreted as interference in domestic affairs.
This statement came at a time when it is known that there are differences between the two countries on issues such as the modernization of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and trade matters, just ahead of the summit. It is interpreted as an attempt to question the legitimacy of the new administration, shake up the situation, and gain the upper hand. There is also speculation that this may be an attempt to pressure President Lee Jaemyung to make the greatest possible concessions.
The controversial post was uploaded just over three hours before the summit, which was scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on the same day. Concerns are being raised that President Trump's unexpected and significant diplomatic discourtesy could negatively affect the atmosphere of the summit.
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