Seoul: Lee Jae-myung, the President of South Korea, is expected to hold a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump as early as Thursday, according to diplomatic sources. The two governments are actively arranging for their leaders to engage in this dialogue, as stated by sources on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during a press briefing on Wednesday evening, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung mentioned that it is "unlikely that the call will take place tonight due to the time difference," but emphasized that "coordination efforts are still ongoing." This phone call, if realized, will be the first between Trump and Lee, who was recently elected president for a five-year term after serving as the Democratic Party leader.
The anticipated discussion is expected to focus on congratulating President Lee on his electoral victory and reaffirming the strong bilateral alliance and cooperation between South Korea and the United States. However, there may also be discussions on more challenging issues, particularly the Trump administration's initiatives to increase tariffs and defense cost-sharing from allies.
Diplomatic circles speculate that President Lee and President Trump could potentially hold their first summit in the United States as early as July or August, based on historical precedents between the two nations. Additionally, the Group of Seven summit in Canada from June 15-17 and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in the Netherlands from June 24-25 are being considered as potential opportunities for the two leaders to meet in person for the first time. Reports indicate that the leaders of South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have been invited to the NATO summit.