South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to meet former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday for his first face-to-face summit in Washington, in talks that could reshape America’s decades-long role on the Korean peninsula. The meeting comes amid mounting speculation that Washington is preparing to scale back its 28,500-strong troop presence in South Korea, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The White House summit will test Lee’s diplomatic skills just two months into his presidency, as he juggles sensitive defence issues with the finalisation of a trade deal announced last month. The agreement has been interpreted differently by Seoul and Washington, adding further complexity to the discussions.
“The range of complex trade and defence issues the alliance needs to navigate, and the potential for them to be linked in unexpected ways, makes this a really difficult task,” Christopher Green of the International Crisis Group told the FT.
The U.S., while reaffirming its commitment to South Korea’s security, is increasingly urging Seoul to shoulder more of the financial and operational burden of deterring nuclear-armed North Korea, as Washington pivots toward countering China’s growing influence in the region. General Xavier Brunson, commander of joint U.S.-South Korean forces, recently said the alliance should be judged on “capabilities rather than troop numbers,” fuelling speculation of a troop reduction or reorientation.
Lee, who has never met Trump in person, hopes to leverage the visit to strengthen trade ties through new U.S. investments in Korean-led manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, and nuclear power. His administration also aims to shed his image as an anti-American progressive and reassure U.S. policymakers about his stance toward China and Japan.
Analysts warn, however, that Lee’s past criticisms of U.S.-Japan-South Korea military drills and his calls for warmer relations with Beijing could complicate efforts to present himself as a staunch ally. “Dispelling the perception that Lee is anti-American and pro-China is one of the key objectives of his visit,” said Kim Jungsup of the Sejong Institute.
The summit also holds potential for a revival of diplomacy with North Korea. Both Lee and Trump have expressed openness to renewed engagement with Pyongyang. Lee has already ordered an end to propaganda broadcasts along the inter-Korean border, portraying North-South ties as a troubled marriage in need of “counselling.”
Still, experts caution that Lee’s dual strategy—reassuring Washington while seeking dialogue with Pyongyang—may be unsustainable. North Korea has already dismissed him as unreliable, with Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, deriding the South Korean president as a “vagarious poet.”
As the Financial Times notes, the challenge for Lee will be to leave Washington with his reputation intact and tangible achievements to point to—no small feat as the U.S.-South Korea alliance undergoes its most significant test in years.
