President Lee Jaemyung Embarks on Diplomatic Stage... To Meet Trump in Canada

Yonhap News

Against the backdrop of America First policies and President Donald Trump's tariff threats, President Lee Jaemyung has officially entered the diplomatic stage. He has already completed a phone call with President Trump, and is expected to meet him in person at the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit, which will be held in Canada for three days starting June 15. Phone calls with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are also scheduled to take place soon.

According to the presidential office on June 9, President Lee is expected to hold phone conversations with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the near future. When asked about the schedule for calls with the leaders of China, Japan, and Russia on June 8, a presidential office official responded that arrangements were still being coordinated.

Previously, the leaders of each country had expressed their desire to meet with President Lee and their hope to cooperate with South Korea. On June 4, Prime Minister Ishiba told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo that "it would be best to hold a Japan-Korea summit as soon as possible." On the same day, President Xi sent a congratulatory message to President Lee on his election victory, emphasizing that "I attach great importance to the development of China-Korea relations."

The phone call with U.S. President Trump took place at 10 p.m. on June 6, three days after President Lee's inauguration, and lasted about 20 minutes. The two presidents discussed the issue of tariffs between South Korea and the United States, and agreed to reach "an agreement that both countries can be satisfied with" as soon as possible. President Trump also invited President Lee to visit the United States, to which President Lee responded that, as special allies, he hoped to meet frequently for consultations. Notably, the two leaders reportedly shared experiences of facing assassination threats during their election campaigns and discussed golf outings. The presidential office explained that "the two leaders highly valued each other's leadership and agreed to work closely together for the advancement of the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

A week later, President Lee will meet foreign leaders in person. He will participate in the G7 summit held in Canada from June 15 to 17. Although South Korea is not a G7 member, it was invited by the host country, Canada. During this period, a summit meeting with President Trump may also take place. Attention is focused on whether President Lee will be able to actively address a range of pressing issues, including President Trump's tariff threats under America First policies and the ongoing defense cost-sharing negotiations, during the G7 summit. President Trump has announced plans to impose high tariffs on automobiles and steel products. The scheduled implementation date is July 8, leaving only about a month. The South Korean government has set a goal of lowering or eliminating the current tariff rate, which stands at 25%. The U.S. demand for South Korea's participation in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline project also remains a difficult issue.

Meanwhile, there is speculation that President Lee may attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit to be held in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24 and 25. A presidential office official stated that "no decision has been made yet" regarding this matter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.