U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media earlier than assembly with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday to threaten to not do enterprise with Seoul due to a “Purge or Revolution” that he claimed was going down within the nation.
However any prospect of a hostile Oval Workplace assembly evaporated after Lee heaped reward onto the U.S. president — lauding the decor, beseeching Trump to proceed to assist with Korean peace efforts and even suggesting a Trump Tower in North Korea.
“We’ve identified one another and gotten alongside very effectively,” Trump stated. After working down the agenda for the summit, Trump added: “It’s an amazing honor to be with you and congratulations in your election. That was an enormous one, and we’re with you 100%.”
The cordial show confirmed how world leaders are taking notes from earlier conferences between Trump and heads of state, who’ve largely chosen the route of reward and adulation slightly than confrontation as they search favorable commerce phrases and continued army assist from Washington. It was one of many first large international coverage checks for Lee, who took over a rustic in a state of political turmoil since its former chief, Yoon Suk Yeol, was ousted from workplace after imposing martial legislation.
Lee, elected in June, started by praising one in all Trump’s pet initiatives: presidential inside design.
“I heard that you just not too long ago redecorated the Oval Workplace, and I want to say that it seems to be very vivid and delightful,” Lee stated by way of an interpreter. “It has the dignity of America, and it symbolizes the brand new future and prosperity of America.”
He famous that the Dow Jones index has reached file highs (though Lee made certain so as to add the caveat that “it went down a bit”) and requested Trump, who has been on a mission to obtain the Nobel Peace Prize, to reunify the 2 Koreas and even maybe see the development of a Trump Tower in North Korea accompanied by a spherical of golf. Lee additionally agreed with Trump’s assertion that North Korean chief Kim Jong Un wouldn’t have continued to boost his nuclear capabilities the previous few years had Trump remained in workplace.
Noting a “renaissance” that’s going down, Lee stated “I consider you’re the solely chief who has made such accomplishments.”
The tone was a far cry from Trump’s confrontational social media publish earlier Monday. He later elaborated that he was referring to raids on church buildings and on a U.S. army base by the brand new South Korean authorities, which they “in all probability shouldn’t have achieved.”
“I heard dangerous issues,” Trump advised reporters within the Oval Workplace on Monday morning. “I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ll be discovering out.”
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Trump didn’t determine particular raids. However earlier this month, South Korean police performed a raid on a church led by a conservative activist pastor who authorities allege is linked to a pro-Yoon protest in January that turned violent, in response to Yonhap information company. A particular prosecutor’s staff that’s investigating corruption allegations towards Yoon’s spouse , former first girl Kim Keon Hee, additionally raided the services of the Unification Church after allegations that one in all its officers gave Kim luxurious items.
In the meantime, Osan Air Base, which is collectively operated by the US and South Korea, was additionally the goal of a raid final month by investigators wanting into how Yoon’s activation of martial legislation transpired, in response to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. South Korean officers have insisted the raid was within the areas managed by Seoul.
Requested about his assertions by a reporter in entrance of Lee, Trump declined to confront the South Korean president and as an alternative stated the 2 will talk about it later.
“It didn’t sound to me like South Korea,” Trump stated.
Lee defined that the particular prosecutor was tapped by the nation’s Nationwide Meeting to analyze the actions of Yoon, who Lee stated staged a “self-coup.”
At that time, Trump interjected, “Is his title Deranged Jack Smith, by any likelihood?” He was referring to the particular prosecutor who led two felony instances towards Trump earlier than the Republican president was reelected to a second time period.
Yoon, who was elected to a five-year time period in 2022, was thought of extra ideologically aligned with Trump and had even taken up {golfing} once more after the U.S. president was reelected final November to attempt to forge a bond with him. Lee led the South Korean parliament’s efforts to overturn Yoon’s martial legislation decree whereas impeaching him. The nation’s Constitutional Court docket formally dismissed Yoon in April.
The primary in-person assembly between Trump and Lee might additional flesh out particulars of a July commerce deal between the 2 nations that has Seoul investing lots of of billions of {dollars} within the U.S. The settlement set tariffs on South Korean items at 15% after Trump threatened charges as excessive as 25%.
Seoul has one of many largest commerce surpluses amongst Washington’s NATO and Indo-Pacific allies, and nations the place the U.S. holds a commerce deficit has drawn explicit ire from Trump, who desires to get rid of such commerce imbalances.
Trump additionally stated Monday that he’d prefer to scrap the U.S. lease with South Korea that covers Osan Air Base and as an alternative get possession of the land.
Forward of his go to to Washington, Lee traveled to Tokyo for his first bilateral go to as president in a massively symbolic journey for the 2 nations that maintain longstanding historic wounds. The summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was interpreted by analysts as a solution to present unity and potential leverage as Japan and South Korea face new challenges from the Trump administration.
Elected in June, Lee was a former little one laborer with an arm deformity who rose his approach by way of South Korea’s political ranks to guide the liberal Democratic Occasion and win the presidency after a number of makes an attempt.
Lee confronted an assassination try in January 2024, when he was stabbed within the neck by a person saying he wished Lee’s autograph and later advised investigators that he meant to kill the politician.
Lee arrived within the U.S. on Sunday and can go away Tuesday. He headlined a dinner Sunday night with roughly 200 native Korean Individuals in downtown Washington on Sunday evening.
Related Press author Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
