U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25, 2025.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
President Donald Trump bragged about his “nice relationship” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un as he met on the White Home for the primary time Monday with South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung.
Lee sang Trump’s praises throughout the sitdown, which got here weeks after their nations reached a commerce deal that capped tariffs on South Korea’s exports to the U.S. at 15%.
He requested for Trump’s assist in establishing a long-lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
“I stay up for your assembly with Chairman Kim Jong Un,” Lee mentioned, based on a translator within the Oval Workplace.
Lee even floated the concept of a Trump Tower being inbuilt North Korea, and Trump and Kim taking part in golf collectively.
Trump mentioned he had a “nice relationship” with Kim and that he appears to be like “ahead to assembly” with him in “the suitable future.”
“We will do large progress with North Korea,” Trump added.
Trump was requested by a reporter whether or not Lee and Kim might additionally meet.
“That’d be attention-grabbing,” Trump mentioned.
“We’ll prepare a gathering between you and Kim Jong-un. Would you want that?” Trump requested Lee, who took workplace in June after a snap election. Trump’s query drew laughter from others within the room.
“Look, I get alongside nice with Kim Jong-un, and no matter I can do having to do with South Korea and getting individuals collectively, you need to get collectively, proper?”
Trump’s amicable assembly with Lee got here hours after the American president painted South Korea as a nation in turmoil, writing on social media that the nation seems to be experiencing a “purge” or a “revolution.”
“We won’t have that and do enterprise there,” Trump mentioned on Fact Social earlier than Lee arrived on the White Home.
Requested about that submit earlier than the assembly, Trump informed reporters, “Effectively, I heard that there have been raids on church buildings over the previous few days, very vicious raids on church buildings by the brand new authorities in South Korea, that they even went into our navy base and received info.”
“They in all probability should not have performed that, however I heard unhealthy issues,” Trump mentioned. “I do not know if it is true or not. I will be discovering out.”
Investigators in South Korea in latest weeks have carried out searches at church buildings and the Osan Air Base as a part of a probe into South Korea’s former first girl, Kim Keon Hee, on corruption fees. Osan Air Base is operated by the air forces of each the USA and South Korea.
Throughout this assembly with Lee, Trump took a a lot softer tone.
“It did not sound to me like South Korea,” he mentioned of the raids.
The assembly befell amid lingering questions concerning the two international locations’ buying and selling relationship.
The 15% tariff fee that Trump introduced was decrease than the 25% fee he beforehand threatened. However leaders in South Korea have expressed a willingness to proceed negotiations.
“I hear they need to renegotiate the deal, however that is OK, I do not thoughts that,” Trump mentioned at the start of the assembly.
“That does not imply they are going to get something, however I do not thoughts,” he continued.
After Lee departed the White Home, Trump mentioned he thinks his commerce cope with South Korea is completed.
“They’d some issues with it, however we caught to our weapons,” Trump informed reporters throughout an unrelated occasion.
“They are going to make the deal that they agreed to make.”
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