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President Lee Jae Myung arrives at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, DC, on Aug. 24, 2025. (Yonhap)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Washington, DC, on Sunday afternoon (local time) ahead of his summit with US President Donald Trump. 

A key point of interest in Lee’s visit will be how much he will stick to his guns in pursuing Korea’s national interest during his summit with Trump, who is known for his high-pressure negotiation tactics. Of particular interest is how he will respond to US demands on issues like the modernization of the US-South Korea alliance, Korean investment in the US, and follow-up trade talks. 

Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung arrived at the Joint Base Andrews near Washington, DC, at 2:50 pm. Lee and Kim were greeted by US Acting Chief of Protocol Abby Jones and Col. Joshua Kim of the US Air Force. 

Lee’s first official activity in the US was an afternoon banquet and meeting with Korean Americans. Lee’s summit with Trump is scheduled for the morning of Aug. 25. Lee is expected to dine with Trump during an official luncheon following the summit. 

Wi Sung-lac, Lee’s national security adviser, announced that the summit will focus on stabilizing trade between South Korea and the US; alliance modernization; and forging new avenues for cooperation between the two countries. 

Ahead of the summit, the US publicly reiterated its interest in enhancing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, which is directly tied to Washington’s demands for alliance modernization. Washington also made new demands regarding the opening of South Korea’s agricultural market, something that was discussed during bilateral trade talks that wrapped up last month. 

The US is also demanding that Korea increase its investments in the US. 

In an apparent acknowledgment of the urgency of the situation, Lee dispatched his top diplomats and trade negotiators to Washington ahead of his summit to set the groundwork. Kang Hoon-sik, Lee’s chief of staff, is accompanying Lee during his US visit, an unprecedented move. 

Following his summit with Trump, Lee is set to attend a “business roundtable” with business figures from Korea and the US before delivering a guest address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

On Tuesday, Lee will pay his respects at Arlington National Cemetery before visiting Hanwha Ocean’s newly acquired Philly Shipyard prior to his return to Korea. 

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter; Um Ji-won, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]