A Consistently Friendly Atmosphere
President Lee: "The Result Was Very Good"
Discussions on Shipbuilding Cooperation and North Korea-U.S. Talks
No Detailed Trade or Security Issues Addressed
On the 25th (local time), President Lee Jaemyung put into action the blueprint for the new administration's national philosophy of pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests during his first Korea-U.S. summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. The so-called "surprise bill" from President Trump, which some had feared, did not materialize. Although the summit was held in a tense atmosphere due to an unexpected situation caused by President Trump's social media activity just before the meeting, it concluded smoothly in a friendly atmosphere. In particular, after the summit, President Lee appeared at ease in a conversation with John Hamre, President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, and assessed, "The results were very good."
The Korea-U.S. summit, held in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., lasted about 2 hours and 20 minutes. The meeting, which began at 12:43 p.m.-later than scheduled-continued until 2:59 p.m., running longer than expected. Of this time, 54 minutes were open to the media. President Lee approached the summit with the goals of stabilizing the economic and trade sectors, modernizing the Korea-U.S. alliance, and pioneering new areas of cooperation. President Trump mentioned cooperation in the shipbuilding industry and the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States.
Spokesperson Kang Yujeong explained regarding the closed-door expanded meeting, "It was a time for the two leaders to build mutual affection and trust," adding, "President Trump asked about the current political situation in Korea and briefly reviewed trade and tariff negotiations, and the two leaders discussed the present and future of the U.S. shipbuilding industry." It was reported that specific trade and security issues were not addressed.
President Lee achieved results in addressing economic issues centered on cooperation in the shipbuilding and manufacturing sectors during his first Korea-U.S. summit, which took place 83 days after his inauguration. Notably, there was no discussion that would overturn the outcome of the mutual tariff negotiations, which focused on the creation of an investment fund worth 350 billion dollars. President Lee remarked, "Not only in shipbuilding but also in manufacturing, a renaissance is underway, and I hope that the Republic of Korea can participate in this process," making efforts to create a relaxed atmosphere. He also expressed his hope to expand the Korea-U.S. alliance into the economic and scientific-technical fields, developing it into a future-oriented partnership beyond just the military realm. In response, President Trump said, "I hope to have the opportunity to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry in cooperation with Korea." When asked by a reporter about the 'MASGA' project, he replied, "I think it will take time," but also expressed his expectation, "We will make the U.S. shipbuilding industry truly great."
President Lee also achieved results in highlighting new agendas, such as proposing a meeting with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jongun and emphasizing President Trump's role. President Lee stated, "Thanks to you, Mr. President, the situation on the Korean Peninsula was very stable, but after you briefly stepped away from politics, the situation has significantly deteriorated." He added, "If you, Mr. President, act as the 'peacemaker,' I will do my best to support you as the 'pacemaker.'" President Trump responded, "That is a very good thing, and we will pursue it," also expressing his desire to meet within this year.
Meanwhile, President Lee proactively addressed the improvement of Korea-Japan relations, which President Trump was interested in, in preparation for the Korea-U.S. summit. President Lee traveled to the United States after concluding a Korea-Japan summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the 23rd. President Lee is the first South Korean president to meet with the Japanese leader before holding a summit with the U.S. president. He utilized this, stating, "Since President Trump places great importance on Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, I thought it would be good for you to know that I met with Japan beforehand and resolved issues that might have concerned you." President Lee also mentioned that when he met with Prime Minister Ishiba in Japan, he felt that many obstacles between the two countries had been removed.
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