Overview

• Lee and Trump aligned on reengaging North Korea and highlighted cooperation to revive U.S. shipbuilding, with Seoul earmarking $150 billion for the initiative and Korean conglomerates announcing an additional $150 billion in U.S. investments.
• No joint communiqué was issued, and disagreements persist over tariff ceilings, the structure and timing of South Korea’s investment pledge, and the scope of alliance modernization including burden sharing and strategic flexibility.
• North Korea’s state media denounced Lee as a “hypocrite” over denuclearization remarks, and South Korea’s national security adviser said Pyongyang has shown no willingness to engage, urging against high expectations for dialogue.
• A Realmeter poll found 53.1 percent of South Koreans viewed the Lee–Trump summit positively, with respondents citing progress on economic cooperation, personal rapport and prospects for renewed talks with Pyongyang.
• Seoul emphasized follow-up work after Lee’s visit to Hanwha’s Philly Shipyard, while officials also cited meaningful progress in nuclear energy cooperation, including potential export partnerships and discussions on easing limits on enrichment and reprocessing.