President Trump is promising to renew his “great” relationship with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un — and to bring South Korea back into the dialogue.
Mr. Trump made that vow to South Korea’s president, Lee Jae-myung, as they met in the Oval Office at the outset of a summit at a critical period of political unrest in South Korea and concerns about North Korea’s much strengthened alliance with Russia.
Mr. Lee mingled flattery with appeals for Mr. Trump to “usher in a new era of peace” on the Korean peninsula, while hinting only briefly at the legacy of the abortive attempt at martial law in December that resulted in the downfall of his conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, now on trial for treason and insurrection.
There was no overt sign of anything but good will between the two presidents, but Mr. Lee had to have seen what Mr. Trump posted before their meeting. “WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA?” Mr. Trump asked in all capital letters, adding, “Seems like a Purge or Revolution.” The next sentence seemed almost threatening. “We can’t have that and do business there,” he wrote, concluding, “Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
Exactly what Mr. Trump intended to convey was not clear, but the left-leaning Korean president, since his victory in a snap election in May, has been pursuing his enemies aggressively, pressing legal cases against opposition conservatives and repressing media criticism. The two did not hint at such concerns, however, as they sat side by side in a display of friendship befitting the historic American-Korean alliance.
Mr. Lee sought to keep the tone optimistic and upbeat as he talked up Korean-American cooperation on a large scale. “America is becoming great again,” he said. “There is a renaissance taking place not only in shipbuilding but in manufacturing” — areas in which Korea has promised to invest several hundred billion dollars while Washington holds tariffs down to 15 percent. “We hope to develop our alliance not only in security but also in science and technology.”
Mostly, however, it was Mr. Trump’s potential as a peace-maker on the Korean peninsula that dominated the discussion. “In making peace,” Mr. Lee said, grinning, Mr. Trump might even anticipate “construction of a Trump tower” and “playing golf.”
While the two presidents focused on renewing dialogue with North Korea, they failed to mention two obstacles in the way of North-South relations. First, Mr. Kim has repeatedly refused anything to do with South Korea, calling it the “enemy.” Second, neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Lee said a word about the North providing troops and arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Mr. Lee evinced no concerns on North Korea’s repeated denunciations of his government. “I believe there is a sign North Korea is waiting,” he said. “I hope you will usher in a new era of peace.”
Mr. Trump preferred to dwell on what he said was the “great relationship” he said he has with Mr. Kim, harking back to their three meetings: in Singapore in June 2018, at Hanoi in February 2019, and, briefly, at Panmunjom on the North-South line four months later.
The North Koreans had not wanted to meet with President Biden, the American president said: “They had no respect for Biden.” Mr. Lee described Mr. Trump as “the only person who can make progress on the issue.” Mr. Trump did not disagree. It was “good to get along with Kim Jong-un,” he said, “I get along with everyone — including President Lee.”
Mr. Lee smiled, but he maintained a poker face when Mr. Trump introduced what may be a new bargaining point in negotiations with South Korea. “I would like them to give us ownership of the land where we have a massive military base,” he said, referring to Camp Humphreys, headquarters of U.S. Forces Korea, 40 miles south of Seoul.
That comment raised the question of whether transfer of the base, which the Americans are leasing from their Korean ally, might enter into talks for a vast increase in the amount of money that Korea pays for American troops. As for when he might meet Mr. Kim again, Mr. Trump said only that he looked forward to seeing him “in the appropriate future.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
