President Lee and Trump Share Thumbs-Up in Friendly Photo...White House Releases Images

Thumbs-Up Pose with Bright Smiles
Friendly Remarks Exchanged in a Positive Atmosphere

The White House released photos of the South Korea-U.S. summit on the 25th (local time).

In the photos released by the White House through X (formerly Twitter) that day, President Lee Jaemyung and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen standing side by side, smiling broadly and giving a thumbs-up. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Vice President J.D. Vance, who attended the summit, are also pictured together.

The summit was held in an overall warm and friendly atmosphere. The two leaders shook hands several times during the meeting. President Lee also presented President Trump with the fountain pen he used to sign the guestbook.

President Trump indicated a willingness to strengthen cooperation on shipbuilding and North Korea issues, while President Lee praised President Trump’s achievements by mentioning the rise of the New York Stock Exchange and the golden decorations in the Oval Office. President Lee then said, "If President Trump serves as a peacemaker, I will be the pacemaker," urging attention to easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. When asked about the reduction of U.S. troops in Korea, which had been expected as a key agenda item, President Trump replied, "I don't want to talk about that now. We are friends," thus avoiding a direct answer.

Before the summit, President Trump had criticized Korea’s special prosecutor investigation, which targeted churches and U.S. military bases, via his social media platform Truth Social, saying, "What is happening in Korea? It looks like a purge or a revolution." However, after President Lee’s explanation on the matter, Trump said, "I am convinced it was a misunderstanding."

After the meeting with President Lee, President Trump praised him during the proclamation signing ceremony, saying, "He (President Lee) is a very good guy and a very good representative of Korea."

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