Trump questioned South Korea's political stability ahead of meeting with President Lee, citing "a purge or revolution". Relations strained amid trade and defense tensions. (Photo: ANI via Reuters/File)
Just hours before his bilateral meeting with South Korea‘s incoming president Lee Jae-myung, US President Donald Trump expressed concerns over political transitions in Seoul, writing in a post on Truth Social, “WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can‘t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!“
Trump’s Monday meeting with South Korea’s newly elected President Jae-myung — who took office in June after his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted by the Constitutional Court — comes amid tensions over trade and defense. Yoon‘s impeachment stemmed from his controversial martial law attempt. Analysts point to a faction of conservative Koreans seeing Trump as a possible ally in challenging the new administration, as reported by news agency Reuters.
Ahead of the visit, President Lee indicated that he is not eager to bend to American demands for increased “strategic flexibility“ regarding US forces stationed in Korea.
As tensions simmer over Trump‘s ‘America First‘ agenda, Lee told reporters that flexibility “cannot be easily agreed on.”
The crucial meeting is expected to address key areas of cooperation including defense posture, troop costs, and trade. South Korea relies heavily on the US for security, as it plays a logistics-heavy role in regional stability, per Reuters.
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