"Trump Is Also a Pro-China Leftist"... Yoon Supporters Disheartened and Confused by Summit Outcome

Cheers for "Emperor Trump" After "Purge and Revolution" Remarks
Anger Turns to "Trump Is Also a Leftist" After the Summit
Disappointment Among Yoon's Supporters Over Summit Outcome

The South Korea-U.S. summit, which began amid heightened tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about a "purge and revolution," ended in a friendly atmosphere, leaving supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol expressing disappointment.

Up until just before the summit, conservative online communities had expressed hopes that "Emperor Trump" would bring a dramatic change to Korean politics. However, the outcome was different from what they had anticipated. Some even began to claim, "Trump is also a pro-China leftist," and "We should report Trump to the FBI."

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump are shaking hands during a summit at the White House in Washington DC on the 25th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

The tension ahead of the summit was heightened when President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, "What is happening in Korea? It looks like a purge or a revolution. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to do business there."

As a result, there was speculation on YouTube and elsewhere that President Trump might raise issues concerning former President Yoon's treatment and the alleged election fraud conspiracy during the summit. Supporters of former President Yoon were enthusiastic, saying, "As expected, Emperor Trump sees reality!" and "Emperor Trump has finally recognized the reality in Korea." When hardline conservative figures in the U.S., such as attorney Gordon Chang and Professor Moss Tan, who have communicated with anti-Yoon factions in Korea, expressed their support, expectations rose even higher.

However, a different scene unfolded at the White House meeting. After listening to President Lee's explanation, President Trump said, "I am convinced that my remarks regarding the search and seizure were a misunderstanding," and corrected his statement. Foreign media outlets also responded positively, saying, "Trump was combative before the summit, but relaxed during the meeting" (Washington Post), "Trump emphasized his support for President Lee" (Reuters), and "A warning turned into a warm welcome" (AP).

President Lee Jae Myung is shaking hands with U.S. President Donald Trump, who came to greet him at the White House in Washington DC on the 25th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

Supporters of former President Yoon were disappointed when the tough remarks they had expected from Trump did not materialize. On the U.S. Politics Gallery of the online community DC Inside, posts such as "Even Trump, whom we trusted, has betrayed us," "Trump is also a pro-China leftist," "Trump has abandoned us too," and "It seems someone is impersonating Trump. Let's report him to the FBI" appeared in succession.

The conservative YouTube channel "God's Move" commented, "It's absurd that Trump treated the purge rumors and church search rumors as mere gossip." Jeon Hangil, a former Korean history instructor who traveled to the U.S. to raise awareness about former President Yoon's alleged human rights abuses, livestreamed the summit on YouTube, but the video has since been deleted.