Praised President Lee's Proposal for a Meeting with Kim Jong Un as "A Very Wise Proposal"
Trump Shared Detailed Stories of His Past Meetings with Kim Jong Un
Trump to President Lee: "You Are a Warrior, You Will Receive Complete Support from the Unit
President Lee Jaemyung and President Donald Trump held an expanded meeting for about an hour behind closed doors in the Cabinet Room at the White House on the 25th (local time). During the meeting, President Trump reportedly praised President Lee several times, calling him "a truly smart person." In particular, President Trump highly commended President Lee for suggesting a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, describing it as "a very wise proposal."
Kang Yujeong, spokesperson for the presidential office, conveyed the atmosphere during a briefing at the press center set up in Washington, D.C. Spokesperson Kang explained, "Throughout the meeting, the two leaders maintained a warm and friendly atmosphere, asking each other about the political situation in Korea, reviewing trade and tariff negotiations, and having a pleasant conversation about the future of the American shipbuilding industry." President Lee also told President Trump that the two of them share similar backgrounds, mentioning a past incident where his life was threatened by an assassination attempt. President Trump expressed deep empathy and the two exchanged detailed stories about their experiences.
Especially noteworthy was President Trump sharing detailed accounts of his meetings with Chairman Kim in response to President Lee's suggestion to invite the North Korean leader. President Trump also emphasized that North Korea's nuclear threat had grown significantly during the period he was not in office. He asked President Lee for his thoughts on the relationship between China and North Korea, as well as between North Korea and Russia.
Spokesperson Kang stated, "President Trump repeatedly expressed his closeness to President Lee in front of many people, saying things like, 'You are a warrior,' and 'You will receive complete support from the United States.' He also said, 'You are a great person and a great leader. With you, Korea will have an amazing future at even greater heights.'"
Additionally, President Lee invited President Trump to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju this fall, and suggested that, if possible, they try to arrange a meeting with Chairman Kim. President Trump reportedly wrote a message by hand for President Lee, stating, "I am always with you."
The conversation also touched on South Korea's female professional golfers. According to Spokesperson Kang, President Trump remarked that he had heard Korean women professional golfers practice from sunrise until after sunset, and expressed his admiration, saying that their dedication to practice is likely why they become world-class athletes.
During the meeting, President Trump personally signed the name tags of the staff present, and pointed out that the menu cards on the table were all handwritten calligraphy. He also signed one of the menus himself.
Spokesperson Kang added, "After the meal, President Trump returned to his office and personally introduced portraits of former U.S. presidents such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. He also presented President Lee with a book containing a photo of President Trump being attacked, which President Lee said he had seen in a photo album of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. President Trump then invited all attendees to choose a hat, golf ball, or golf pin they liked, and signed them once more."
Meanwhile, Spokesperson Kang reported that President Trump, expressing regret that the luncheon meeting ran longer than scheduled, said it was a tremendous step forward, with remarkable people and remarkable negotiations, and exchanged warm farewells with President Lee.
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