Lee to visit Trump for defense, investment talks

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington as early as mid-August, just over two months after taking office. The summit is likely to feature announcements on South Korean defense contributions and new investment commitments by Korean firms in the United States, which are not covered in the recent tariff agreement.

President Trump said Wednesday that President Lee would visit the White House for a bilateral meeting “within two weeks.” Chief Presidential Policy Aide Kim Yong-beom added that Trump had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to arrange the summit “as early as next week.”

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said major South Korean investment deals would be unveiled during Lee’s visit.

Topics excluded from the tariff negotiations are expected to be addressed at the summit. These include increased South Korean funding for U.S. troop deployments, expanded national defense spending, possible changes to the size and role of American forces on the Korean Peninsula, and greater South Korean involvement in U.S. efforts to counter China’s regional influence. Insiders say Seoul and Washington have made progress on the defense cost-sharing issue.

Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek on Thursday. The Pentagon said Hegseth stressed the importance of reinforcing the joint deterrence posture against shared threats, and reiterated the U.S. view that the bilateral alliance should play a broader role in countering Beijing’s influence.


Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com