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Lee, Trump Reaffirm Trade Deal as North Korea Rejects Denuclearization Overture

Pyongyang’s rebuke highlights the headwinds facing Lee’s agenda, with implementation of the trade‑for‑investment framework now shifting to working‑level talks.

President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attends an interview at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/ File Photo
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Overview

  • U.S. President Donald Trump said the July tariff framework remains intact after his meeting with President Lee, noting an earlier “problem” was resolved and that Seoul “honored the deal.”
  • North Korean state media condemned Lee’s denuclearization push as a “vain delusion,” reiterated it will never abandon nuclear arms, and avoided commenting on Trump’s hope to meet Kim Jong Un this year.
  • Hanwha Group announced a 7 trillion won (US$5 billion) expansion of its Philadelphia shipyard, reinforcing Seoul’s US$350 billion U.S. investment pledge and the ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again’ initiative.
  • A Realmeter poll found 53.1% of South Koreans viewed the Lee–Trump summit positively, with respondents citing progress in shipbuilding cooperation and renewed diplomacy.
  • Seoul’s foreign ministry said it has received no U.S. request to transfer ownership of land hosting U.S. Forces Korea, as detailed negotiations on alliance modernization and cost‑sharing proceed.