President Lee to Hold Phone Call with Trump as Early as Today…Kickstarting Summit Diplomacy

Although Mainly an Introductory Call…Possibility of Discussing Pending Issues such as Tariffs

President Lee Jae-myung is expected to hold a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump as early as the 4th.

According to diplomatic sources, the two governments are coordinating the schedule for a telephone conversation between President Lee and President Trump for late this afternoon, Korea time.

While the call will primarily serve as an introductory meeting with President Trump congratulating President Lee on his inauguration, it is also possible that they will discuss current issues such as North Korea’s nuclear program and tariffs.

Given President Trump’s outspoken nature, there is a possibility that sudden remarks about issues like defense cost-sharing may come up.

Discussions on a meeting between the leaders of South Korea and the United States are also expected. Considering previous precedents where the president visited the U.S. shortly after a new administration took office, the diplomatic community sees the possibility of a South Korea-U.S. summit being held in the U.S. around July or August.

The South Korea-U.S. leaders could also meet for the first time at an international summit, such as the Group of Seven (G7) summit scheduled to take place in Canada from the 15th to the 17th of this month, or at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on the 24th to 25th.

Oh Se-seong, Hankyung.com reporter sesung@hankyung.com