President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump met in Gyeongju on the 29th and held a South Korea-U.S. summit for 87 minutes. It came two months after their first summit in Washington, D.C., in late Aug. Saying he would greatly strengthen Korea's own defense capabilities by increasing defense spending, President Lee asked Trump to make a decision to allow the supply of nuclear-powered submarine fuel. President Trump responded, saying he wanted to continue to work with President Lee Jae-myung, and added, he hoped one cloud at a time would clear between the two countries.
President Lee and President Trump held a working lunch and summit at 2:39 p.m. on the 29th at the Gyeongju National Museum. With key officials, including the chiefs of staff of both countries, in attendance, a wide range of topics were on the table, including trade and investment, economic security, modernization of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
After the meeting that lasted 87 minutes ended, President Trump left the venue and arrived at his accommodation, the Hilton Hotel. The two leaders are scheduled to have dinner together in the evening.
This summit was held a little over two months after the summit in Washington in late Aug. The biggest question was whether they could find solutions to bilateral trade issues such as South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations.
In the opening remarks released to the media, both leaders avoided specific mentions of tariff negotiations. Instead, President Lee drew attention by asking for a decision to allow the supply of nuclear-powered submarine fuel. During the opening remarks, President Lee began, saying there seemed to be a bit of misunderstanding because he had not been able to provide a sufficiently detailed explanation before.
Lee said, We are not saying we want to build submarines armed with nuclear weapons; rather, diesel submarines have inferior submergence capabilities, so there are limits to tracking North Korean or Chinese submarines. He emphasized, If you allow fuel supply, we can build several submarines armed with conventional weapons using our technology and conduct defense operations in the East Sea and West Sea off the Korean Peninsula, which could significantly reduce the U.S. military's burden.
President Lee said, We plan to greatly boost our own defense capabilities through increased defense spending and the development of the defense industry, and added, To reduce the U.S. defense burden, Korea will firmly provide support for and increase funding to the defense industry.
President Lee also mentioned President Trump's efforts for dialogue with North Korea, saying, The very act of requesting a meeting with Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and saying it could be accepted at any time is creating a considerable warmth of peace on the Korean Peninsula. It is in line with his remarks during the first summit when he praised President Trump as a "peacemaker."
President Lee said, Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea has not yet properly accepted or understood the president's sincerity, adding, This will also become another seed and serve as a starting point for creating a great wave of peace on the Korean Peninsula. From our side, we will watch the president's future activities with great expectations.
President Trump did not meet Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, during this Asia tour, but he responded that he would continue efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea going forward. He said, I know that you (the South and the North) are officially in a state of war on the Korean Peninsula, and we will see what we can do to set all that right, adding, I will work very hard with you, your team, and many others to see if we can do something reasonable.
President Trump also spoke about South Korea-U.S. economic cooperation. He emphasized, I would like Korean corporations to come to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and build ships in the United States, and said, Revitalizing the shipbuilding industry is the top priority. President Trump also mentioned the artificial intelligence (AI) and automobile industries and said corporations are returning to the United States and investing again.
President Trump said, There have been clouds in relations with South Korea, but I hope they clear one by one, and stressed, South Korea and the United States are long-time friends, and I want to continue to cooperate.
Before the summit, President Lee awarded President Trump the Grand Order of Mugunghwa. Trump is the first U.S. president to receive the decoration. The Grand Order of Mugunghwa is Korea's highest order and is awarded to the president and the president's spouse. It can also be awarded to the head of a friendly nation and the spouse, or to a former head of a friendly nation and the spouse with distinguished merits for Korea's development and security.
President Lee also presented President Trump with a model crown modeled after the Gyeongju gold crown from Cheonmachong Tomb. After receiving the gift, President Trump responded, Thank you very much for this special gift.