Overview

• The White House is hosting the first summit between South Korean president Lee Jae-myung and U.S. president Donald Trump today.
• Talks will focus on defense coordination and industrial cooperation in chips, batteries, shipbuilding, advanced technologies and critical minerals linked to a recently negotiated tariff pact.
• Key details of the new tariff agreement remain uncertain, and questions persist about alignment on policy toward North Korea.
• Seoul’s national security adviser said Washington shares Lee’s three-stage denuclearization approach, even as Pyongyang rejects Seoul’s outreach and conditions any U.S. dialogue on dropping denuclearization.
• South Korea’s foreign minister abruptly traveled to Washington, skipping a planned meeting with Japan’s prime minister, prompting questions about unresolved issues before the summit.