Overview

• President Lee Jae Myung landed in Tokyo for talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before flying to Washington for his first in‑person meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday.
• South Korea’s foreign, trade and industry chiefs arrived early in Washington to fine‑tune the summit agenda, with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun holding preparatory meetings that could include Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• Seoul and Washington will elevate last month’s trade framework that set U.S. tariffs at 15% in exchange for large Korean investments, with shipbuilding cooperation and potential additional investment announcements highlighted by officials.
• ‘Alliance modernization’ is slated for leader‑level discussion, with expected focus on burden‑sharing and the role of U.S. Forces Korea as Washington emphasizes deterrence against China alongside North Korea.
• Seoul says it shares a basic approach with Washington on Lee’s three‑stage denuclearization roadmap for North Korea, while details such as sanctions relief sequencing still require negotiation.