[Gyeongju APEC] Trump Departs for Korea...Summits with Lee Jaemyung on the 29th and Xi Jinping on the 30th

Air Force One Departs from Haneda Airport
One-Night, Two-Day Stay Planned in South Korea
Attention on First Meeting with Xi Jinping in Six Years

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is walking at the White House on September 30 (local time). Photo by UPI

Donald Trump, President of the United States, who is currently on an Asia tour, departed Japan on the 29th after completing a two-night, three-day visit and is now heading to South Korea, the final destination of his trip.

According to The New York Times, Air Force One, the U.S. presidential aircraft carrying President Trump, took off from Tokyo Haneda Airport on the morning of the same day.

President Trump entered Japan via Malaysia on the 27th and held his first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi the previous day. During the summit, the two leaders declared the opening of a "golden era of the new U.S.-Japan alliance" and agreed to pursue cooperation in security and economic fields.

While in Japan, President Trump also visited the Yokosuka U.S. Navy base, met with Emperor Naruhito, held talks with families of Japanese abductees, and met with business leaders.

Upon arriving in South Korea, President Trump will hold a summit with President Lee Jaemyung in Gyeongju later in the afternoon. This meeting comes about two months after their first summit, which took place in late August in Washington, D.C.

On the 30th, President Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, marking their first summit in six years. The U.S.-China summit, which has drawn global attention, is considered a key event of President Trump's Asia tour.

There is also keen interest in whether President Trump will have a surprise meeting with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un during his stay in South Korea. Despite North Korea's continued silence, President Trump has repeatedly urged for a meeting on this day, actively seeking an encounter.