Meeting between Trump and Lee highlighted by discussions of North Korea and joint military bases in South Korea.
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President of the United States, Donald Trump, and South Korean President, Lee Jae-myung, had a significant discussion about the potential for engagement with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, during their meeting at the White House.
President Lee, who has pledged to mend the rifts from the past and the scars of the war, inspired confidence that there could be an opening for dialogue with his North Korean counterpart, as he stated, “Kim Jong Un will be expecting to meet you.” Lee even playfully added, “I hope you can bring peace to the Korean Peninsula and build a Trump Tower where you can play golf.” This was communicated in Korean.
Trump, having met Kim multiple times previously, signaled that he is eager to meet with him again this year. He asserted his close understanding of Kim, stating that he knows him almost as well as Kim’s sister.
During their chat, Trump touched upon the topic of U.S. military presence in South Korea, where about 28,500 American troops are stationed. He voiced his interest in moving beyond the current lease agreements and obtaining outright ownership of the lands where U.S. military bases are situated.
This meeting marked President Lee’s inaugural trip to the White House following his election. His ascendancy followed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol after his brief attempt to impose martial law, which ended quickly and resulted in his arrest on insurrection charges.
Lee has expressed a commitment to mending ties with North Korea, however, his efforts have been met with skepticism from Pyongyang. In addition, he has signaled his intention to revive
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/26/trump-to-south-koreas-lee-look-forward-to-meeting-n-koreas-kim-jong-un?traffic_source=rss
