Lee appeals to Trump for North Korea meeting

At the South Korea-U.S. summit in Washington on Aug. 26, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung asked U.S. President Donald Trump to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to which Trump responded, “I want to meet him this year.”

At their first summit, President Lee said, “The only person who can bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, the world’s only divided nation, is President Trump,” and proposed facilitating a North Korea–U.S. meeting. Trump responded, “That is a very good idea. I will pursue it.”

The rapport was bolstered by President Lee’s stream of praise for Trump. From the golden renovations of the Oval Office to record highs in the U.S. stock market, Lee lavished Trump with compliments designed to win his favor. According to the presidential office, Trump responded with high praise, saying, “You are a great leader. Truly intelligent. You will receive the full support of the United States.”

Such remarks likely do not indicate agreement with expanding the South Korea-U.S. alliance to counter China. President Lee has already drawn a line, saying it is “not easy to agree” on this issue, signaling that coordination over “alliance modernization” will not be straightforward.