Trump and South Korea’s new leader talk tariffs, golf and assassinations in first call
President Lee Jae-myung and Trump have both faced attempts on their lives; Lee even had to undergo surgery after being stabbed in the neck
US President Donald Trump and South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae-myung, agreed to work toward a swift tariff deal in their first phone call since Lee was elected this week, Lee’s office said on Friday.
Trump has imposed tariffs on South Korea, a long-time ally with which it has a bilateral free trade deal, and pressed it to pay more for the 28,500 US troops stationed there.
Separately, Trump allies have aired concerns about Lee’s more conciliatory stance towards China, Washington’s main geopolitical rival.
Lee, a liberal, was elected on June 3 after former conservative leader, Yoon Suk-yeol, was impeached and ousted.
The future of South Korea’s export-oriented economy may hinge on what kind of deal Lee can strike with Trump, with all of his country’s key sectors from chips to cars and shipbuilding heavily exposed to global trade. His term began on Wednesday.
“The two presidents agreed to make an effort to reach a satisfactory agreement on tariff consultations as soon as possible that both countries can be satisfied with,” Lee’s office said in a statement.
“To this end, they decided to encourage working-level negotiations to yield tangible results.”