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14m ago

Trump, South Korea’s Lee Revive North Korea Diplomacy, Advance Trade and Shipbuilding in First Summit

Trump signaled readiness to meet Kim this year, with working-level talks now expected on the July economic framework.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Oval Office, at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Image
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stand at the demarcation line in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, on June 30, 2019.
President Lee Jae Myung (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump smile during their summit at the Oval Office of White House on Aug. 25, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The leaders met at the White House for roughly 140 minutes, striking a cordial tone while discussing security, trade, North Korea and cooperation with Japan.
  • Trump said he hopes to meet Kim Jong Un this year and touted his personal ties, as President Lee urged a U.S. peacemaker role on the Korean Peninsula.
  • Both sides highlighted the MASGA shipbuilding plan tied to July’s tariff and investment deal, with Trump saying the U.S. is considering ship contracts and Korean-built shipyards in America, which he cautioned would take time to execute.
  • Trump proposed seeking U.S. ownership of land hosting American bases in South Korea and pressed cost-sharing, while declining to discuss any change to the 28,500-strong troop presence.
  • Trump said his earlier social-media warning referenced reports of raids on churches and a joint base area; Lee described a National Assembly–mandated special-counsel probe into the previous government as the context, as Korean business chiefs met U.S. counterparts at a Washington forum.