Victor Cha: "Lee Jaemyung's Shift Toward North Korea at Korea-US Summit Was a Smart Move" [Meeting US Think Tanks]

"President Trump Likely Welcomed 'Peacemaker' Remarks"
No Written Agreement Due to Trade Negotiations
Some 'Anti-American' Suspicions Eased... Positive Outlook on Improved Japan Relations

On the 9th (local time), Victor Cha, CSIS Korea Chair, met at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC, USA. Washington DC - Photo by Cha Minyoung

Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC, highly praised President Lee Jaemyung's move to shift the focus of his first summit with President Donald Trump last month toward North Korean denuclearization and the Korean Peninsula peace process.

During a meeting with Korean journalists at the CSIS conference room on the 9th (local time), Cha said, "At the summit, President Lee chose not to answer questions about US Forces Korea directly, but instead steered the conversation toward North Korea. That was a very smart choice." The roundtable was part of the Korea Press Foundation and East-West Center's Korea-US journalist exchange program.

Cha explained, "President Lee mentioned the idea of a 'peacemaker,' saying that since President Trump has played a role in bringing peace to Ukraine and Gaza, he should also help bring peace to the Korean Peninsula. Trump wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize, so he really likes hearing that kind of thing."

Previously, during the summit with President Trump held in the Oval Office at the White House, President Lee asked Trump to act as a 'peacemaker' by meeting with Kim Jong-un, Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission. He also added that if Trump became a peacemaker, he himself would support him as a 'pacemaker.' Additionally, he said, "If you build a Trump World in North Korea, please let me play golf there too."

Cha continued, "The second reason is that President Lee talked about real estate, a topic that President Trump is deeply interested in. By steering the conversation that way, the rest of the press conference focused only on North Korea, allowing him to showcase his personal connection with Kim Jong-un and express his intention to continue dialogue until the end of 2025."

He added, "While the US sends private messages, it's unclear if they reach North Korea. In this context, President Lee's intention may have been to prompt President Trump to send a public signal during a high-profile White House summit that he wants to meet Chairman Kim Jong-un again. Overall, it was a very successful visit from President Lee's perspective."

However, he pointed out that it is customary for two countries to issue an official statement outlining a 3- to 5-year plan or a joint vision after their first summit, but no official document was prepared immediately following the Korea-US summit.

Cha said, "The reason they did not reach a written agreement was not due to China, North Korea, the withdrawal of US troops, or security-related issues. It was because of details in trade and investment negotiations." He added, "The failure to reach an agreement this time was because the negotiations between the United States and Japan also failed to reach an agreement. Once the US-Japan negotiations are settled, the Korea-US negotiations are expected to proceed more smoothly."

Regarding President Lee's remarks in his CSIS speech immediately after the summit, stating that the 'security with the US, economy with China' (Anmigyungjung) approach is unsustainable, Cha commented, "We will have to see what he says to President Xi Jinping of China and what policies he implements in Korea, but it was an unexpected statement."

He added, "Clearly, President Lee made the statement knowing that China would take note of it, and I think it was a bold move. In DC, it was a welcome statement, and although President Lee is a Democrat, it reinforced the theory that he is more 'pragmatic' than previous Democratic presidents."

On the 10th (local time), Andrew Yeo, Korea Chair, met at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, USA.

There was also an assessment that the summit helped alleviate some of the US suspicions about President Lee being 'anti-American.' On June 3, immediately after President Lee's election, the White House reaffirmed the strength of the Korea-US alliance and simultaneously expressed concerns about China's interference in democracy.

Andrew Yeo, Korea Chair at the Brookings Institution, said, "Everyone in Washington knows that Wi Sunglak, Director of the National Security Office, is well known and a centrist, but there were doubts as to whether he truly represents President Lee's views. After the summit, however, he did such a good job of convincing people in Washington that Lee is not anti-American that I think the real winner was Director Wi."

He added, "President Lee is unlikely to be completely pro-American like former President Yoon Sukyeol and will pursue a different foreign policy, but by emphasizing the importance of the alliance between the two countries, some of the doubts were eased. He could have criticized or expressed anger about issues like tariffs during his visit to the US, but he showed remarkable patience."

On the 11th (local time), Patrick Cronin, Chair of Asia-Pacific Security, met at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC.

President Lee Jaemyung's visit to Japan prior to the Korea-US summit, which helped strengthen Korea-Japan relations, also received positive reviews. After his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, President Lee jointly announced that the two countries should cooperate for "future-oriented and mutually beneficial common interests."

Patrick Cronin, Chair for Asia-Pacific Security at the Hudson Institute, said, "As someone who has advocated for good Korea-Japan relations for decades, I truly welcome this development. At a time when the credibility and consistency of the US administration are in question, cooperation between Korea and Japan is absolutely essential."

He added, "I believe it is meaningful for Korea and Japan to coordinate and cooperate in response to the US, but personally, I think it should proceed in a sustainable way."