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34m ago

Seoul Sends Top Ministers to Washington for Final Lee–Trump Summit Coordination

The meeting is expected to convert a tariff-for-investment framework into concrete industry deals under pressure over U.S. troop cost sharing.

FILE - Flags of South Korea and the United States flutter before a joint river-crossing drill between South Korea and the United States in Yeoju, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a press conference to mark his first 30 days in office at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE - People watch a TV screen showing a file image of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. The signs read, "The presidential office announced that the South Korea-U.S. summit will be held on the 25th." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Ahn Young-joon/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington to fine-tune the summit’s trade and investment agenda.
  • Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan is arriving in Washington to meet Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright to advance sector-specific cooperation.
  • Foreign Minister Cho Hyun flew out earlier than planned for on-site reviews, with officials dismissing speculation of trouble in the summit preparations.
  • The talks follow a framework that lowered U.S. reciprocal tariffs to 15% in exchange for about $350 billion in Korean investment and $100 billion in U.S. energy purchases, including initiatives in shipbuilding, semiconductors, batteries and potential nuclear projects reportedly discussed by KHNP and Westinghouse.
  • Security issues are expected to feature prominently, with U.S. calls for higher South Korean contributions and policy discussions reported on alliance roles and possible force posture changes.