Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to hold his first official summit with U.S. President Donald Trump this week, in a high-stakes visit aimed at strengthening trade ties and reaffirming the security alliance between the two nations.
Lee’s trip to the United States follows a brief stop in Tokyo, where he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He arrived in Washington on Sunday, leading a high-level delegation ahead of Monday’s working-level meeting at the White House.
Lee Jae Myung will press Donald Trump to reopen the stalled dialogue with North Korea and follow up on a recently signed trade deal when the South Korean president meets his US counterpart in Washington on Monday.
The meeting marks the first time the two leaders will sit down face-to-face. It comes on the heels of a key trade agreement reached in July, in which the U.S. agreed to reduce its proposed reciprocal tariff on South Korean goods from 25% to 15%.
Negotiations will focus on finalizing the details of the July deal, under which South Korea has committed to purchase $100 billion worth of U.S. energy products and invest $350 billion in the American economy over an unspecified timeline.
Direct investments by major South Korean conglomerates are also expected to be on the agenda. Accompanying President Lee are executives from four of the country’s largest firms — Samsung Electronics, SK Group, Hyundai Motor, and LG Group.
According to Maeil Business Newspaper, these companies are already contributing a combined 126 trillion won (approximately $91.2 billion) in direct investments to the United States.
Trump has hinted that further corporate investment decisions may be announced during the summit.
The visit also carries political significance for Seoul, which has been working to rebuild stable ties with Washington following the political upheaval triggered by the impeachment and resignation of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, and his controversial declaration of martial law last December.
Lee is joined on the trip by First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, as his administration seeks to reset the tone of South Korea–U.S. relations and reassure American leadership of Seoul’s continued commitment to the alliance.
