Hours before South Korean president Lee Jae Myung was due to meet US president Donald Trump, a Truth Social post dropped. WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Trump wrote, pointing to a Purge or Revolution. It appears this was a reference to Mr Lee's attempts to move South Korea on from its martial law crisis last December, when its now ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to orchestrate a military takeover.
But Lee turned on the charm and averted a repeat of what happened in the Oval Office to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky or South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa. The leaders found common ground on North Korea, with Trump repeatedly mentioning Kim Jong Un, and they managed to avoid public disagreements over thorny trade and defence issues. Here are three main takeaways.
Lee's strategy of flattery worked. Lee’s team had been nervous about this meeting, and they had good reason to be: Trump is historically wary of South Korea, despite it being a US ally. In the past, he has accused it of freeloading from the tens of thousands of US troops stationed on the peninsula to defend against North Korea. He has also criticized Seoul's defence spending and its trade surplus with the US.
Lee, seen as a left-wing politician, has a reputation in Washington that plays to the worst of Trump’s fears. He has been sceptical of South Korea's military alliance with the US and now seeks to strengthen ties with China. Lee’s team had worried he might be subjected to one of Trump’s now famous Oval Office dressing downs.
The ominous Truth Social post gave them a scare. But during the meeting, Trump raised the topic and quickly brushed it off as a misunderstanding. Lee’s strategy of flattery was effective; he praised the Oval Office's shining new look and the rapport Trump has built with Kim Jong Un, asking him to help establish peace between the North and South.
If you become the peacemaker, then I will assist you by being a pacemaker, said Lee humorously. He even joked about constructing a Trump Tower in North Korea to play golf there.
Lee’s approach was focused on not just avoiding conflict but also on leveraging North Korea’s leader as a potential ally in negotiating peace, indicating a significant shift in South Korea's diplomatic stance.
The main goal of this visit was to address ongoing trade tensions and the presence of US troops in South Korea. Still, both leaders largely sidestepped these contentious topics, illustrating the delicate balance Lee is trying to maintain. Trump hinted at a successful trade agreement but did not delve into specifics, indicating that while the discussions were courteous, the underlying issues remain unresolved.
But Lee turned on the charm and averted a repeat of what happened in the Oval Office to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky or South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa. The leaders found common ground on North Korea, with Trump repeatedly mentioning Kim Jong Un, and they managed to avoid public disagreements over thorny trade and defence issues. Here are three main takeaways.
Lee's strategy of flattery worked. Lee’s team had been nervous about this meeting, and they had good reason to be: Trump is historically wary of South Korea, despite it being a US ally. In the past, he has accused it of freeloading from the tens of thousands of US troops stationed on the peninsula to defend against North Korea. He has also criticized Seoul's defence spending and its trade surplus with the US.
Lee, seen as a left-wing politician, has a reputation in Washington that plays to the worst of Trump’s fears. He has been sceptical of South Korea's military alliance with the US and now seeks to strengthen ties with China. Lee’s team had worried he might be subjected to one of Trump’s now famous Oval Office dressing downs.
The ominous Truth Social post gave them a scare. But during the meeting, Trump raised the topic and quickly brushed it off as a misunderstanding. Lee’s strategy of flattery was effective; he praised the Oval Office's shining new look and the rapport Trump has built with Kim Jong Un, asking him to help establish peace between the North and South.
If you become the peacemaker, then I will assist you by being a pacemaker, said Lee humorously. He even joked about constructing a Trump Tower in North Korea to play golf there.
Lee’s approach was focused on not just avoiding conflict but also on leveraging North Korea’s leader as a potential ally in negotiating peace, indicating a significant shift in South Korea's diplomatic stance.
The main goal of this visit was to address ongoing trade tensions and the presence of US troops in South Korea. Still, both leaders largely sidestepped these contentious topics, illustrating the delicate balance Lee is trying to maintain. Trump hinted at a successful trade agreement but did not delve into specifics, indicating that while the discussions were courteous, the underlying issues remain unresolved.
