President Lee Jae-myung said of the follow-up tariff talks with the United States, "If I were to agree then I would be impeached!" Regarding the $350 billion (about 484 trillion won) U.S.-bound investment fund agreed upon on the condition of mutual tariff reductions (25%→15%), the United States is demanding that it contribute most of the capital in cash and also take 90% of the profits generated by the fund.
In an interview with Time magazine published on the 18th, President Lee said, "I asked the U.S. negotiating team to present a reasonable alternative." This reaffirmed his non-acceptance stance from the 11th at a news conference marking 100 days in office: "We do not make any backroom deals. We will never make decisions that run counter to the national interest of the Republic of Korea." The interview was conducted on the 3rd at the presidential office in Yongsan.
Regarding President Donald Trump's request at last month's summit to transfer ownership of U.S. Forces Korea base sites, President Lee said, "I believe it was a joke." Lee said, "The United States is already using military bases and land without paying expense," and added, "If the United States owns the sites, it has to pay property taxes; there can be no exceptions." At the time, the presidential office said, "It is at the level of a grant, not a lease, so it is not subject to ownership transfer," adding, "We need to look into the context of President Trump's remarks."
Time described a wide gap in the economic upbringings of President Trump and President Lee, and the resulting political leanings. Trump, a conservative who grew up in affluence, and Lee, who spent his childhood as a "boy factory worker" and has progressive, reformist leanings, may not seem to be a natural match at first glance. In response, Lee said there is a sense of kinship based on commonalities that ▲ both he and President Trump have lived as outsiders and ▲ both have a strong drive to achieve.
Lee said, "We are alike in our strong desire to accomplish much and to leave a worthy legacy that people will remember," adding, "President Trump may appear unpredictable on the surface, but I think he is quite pragmatic and results-oriented." He also said, "Because neither of us wants an outcome where both become losers, we will not make irrational choices," and "I believe we will be able to communicate better than expected."
He also emphasized the importance of the South Korea–U.S. alliance in multilateral settings. He said he would serve as a "bridge" on the international stage, including on North Korea issues. Lee said, "The values of Korean democracy and the market economy are grounded in the South Korea–U.S. alliance." At the same time, he said, "We cannot completely sever ties with China because of geographic proximity, historical relations, economic linkages, and people-to-people exchanges." He continued, "Relations with China should be managed at an appropriate level, and I believe the Western world should understand this situation."
On the North Korean nuclear issue, he said short-, medium-, and long-term goals should be distinguished, and that we should exchange ▲ partial easing of sanctions ▲ step-by-step negotiations (freeze→reduction→denuclearization). Lee said, "Do you think North Korea will stop just because we tell it to halt nuclear development?" and added, "If we keep up the current pressure, North Korea will build more nuclear weapons. Whether we tolerate the North's nuclear weapons or achieve complete denuclearization, we believe there is a middle ground, not an 'all or nothing' choice." He also said, "First, we should provide some compensation for the North to halt its nuclear program, then achieve reductions in nuclear weapons, and afterward move toward complete denuclearization."