NEW YORK — President Lee Jae-myung, visiting the United States for the U.N. General Assembly, held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 22nd. The meeting had been in doubt until the final hours but came together after negotiations on South Korea's strategic investment in the United States made progress. At the talks, Lee signaled a willingness to raise defense spending and strengthen the country's independent defense capabilities, seeking to advance stalled security issues including a nuclear-powered submarine and the transfer of wartime operational control.
It was the third summit between the two leaders, following meetings in Washington last August and at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju in October.
A senior Presidential Office official told reporters at the press center in New York that Lee "reaffirmed a willingness to increase defense spending or take on greater responsibility for the defense of the Korean Peninsula in order to strengthen independent defense capabilities." The official added that Lee "conveyed the view that, as an extension of that, he hoped discussions on a nuclear submarine could accelerate."
Wi Sung-lac, national security adviser at the Presidential Office, said the two sides "confirmed a joint will to further deepen cooperation in areas including nuclear submarine fuel, enrichment and reprocessing, shipbuilding cooperation and the transfer of wartime operational control, and agreed to hold follow-up talks."
When the two countries agreed last year on $200 billion in investment in the United States, they also discussed the introduction of a nuclear-powered submarine and expanded authority over uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel reprocessing. Unlike the investment track, security talks had moved slowly, but the latest summit is expected to speed up follow-up discussions.
Wi also said Trump "reaffirmed his willingness to hold talks with North Korea, and the two leaders agreed to keep communicating so that sustainable peace can take root on the Korean Peninsula, as peacemaker and pacemaker." The Presidential Office said there was no mention of whether specific contacts were under way between Washington and Pyongyang.
In his keynote address to the U.N. General Assembly the same day, Lee directly named the United States and China, along with the two Koreas, as parties concerned in discussions on a peace regime for the Korean Peninsula. On energy supply chain instability stemming from developments in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, he proposed a "coalition of constructive contributors."
Surprise Meeting as Investment Talks Advance, Held During Trump's Reception
Progress in the deadlocked negotiations on investment in the United States was cited as the key reason the summit came together after appearing likely to fall through. Major security issues that had stalled alongside those negotiations — the transfer of wartime operational control, a nuclear-powered submarine, the South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement and shipbuilding cooperation — are now set to regain momentum.
Wi Sung-lac, national security adviser at the Presidential Office, said at the press center set up in New York on the 22nd that Lee "held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump for about 30 minutes starting at 7:20 p.m." He added that the two leaders "welcomed the significant progress made in discussions on strategic investment projects between the two countries" and, on security issues, "confirmed a joint will to further deepen cooperation between South Korea and the United States."
Lee Raises Operational Control Transfer, Trump Focuses on Shipbuilding
30-Minute New York Talks Overcome Doubts
The early transfer of wartime operational control, raised by Lee, took up a substantial portion of the summit. A senior Presidential Office official said, "Our side explained the need for the transfer of operational control, and President Trump came to understand the issue much better." The official added that Lee "conveyed the view that he hopes to wrap it up quickly while meeting the conditions for the transfer."
The first test of those discussions is expected to be the 58th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington next month. The government is pursuing a plan to complete the second-stage full operational capability (FOC) assessment for the transfer before the SCM, obtain approval from both defense ministers, and then present a target year for the transfer, referred to as the "X year." For now, 2028, before the end of Trump's term, is seen as the most likely target.
The transfer of wartime operational control goes through three stages of evaluation and verification: initial operational capability (IOC), FOC and full mission capability (FMC). With the FOC assessment entering its final phase, presenting a target year at the SCM would allow the process to move to the last FMC stage. Lee, who is pushing for the transfer within his term, raised the issue directly with Trump in what is seen as a bid to break the deadlock and accelerate the timetable. It was the first time the issue had been discussed at the leaders' level.
Lee also emphasized higher defense spending and his commitment to independent defense capabilities to strengthen his hand in negotiations on the operational control transfer, the nuclear submarine and the nuclear cooperation agreement, according to officials. A senior Presidential Office official said Lee "conveyed the view that we will increase defense spending or reaffirm a willingness to take on greater responsibility for the defense of the Korean Peninsula in order to strengthen independent defense capabilities, and that as an extension of that, he hoped discussions on a nuclear submarine could accelerate."
Leaders Enter Reception Together After Talks
Security Agenda Speeds Up on Submarine, Nuclear Pact
Government Pushes to Set Target Year for Transfer
Next Month's Security Meeting Is First Test
Rubio, Lutnick Among Large U.S. Delegation
Trump showed keener interest in shipbuilding cooperation, officials said. A senior Presidential Office official said Trump "showed considerable enthusiasm for shipbuilding cooperation, including the construction of warships the United States needs," and signaled a desire to move quickly on follow-up discussions. The two countries agreed to hold follow-up security talks in Washington as soon as possible.
The resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue was also on the table. Trump reaffirmed his willingness to talk with North Korea, and Lee asked the United States to create a breakthrough in those talks at a time when direct inter-Korean contact has effectively been cut off. The Presidential Office cautioned against reading too much into the exchange, saying there was no confirmed indication that specific contacts were currently under way between Washington and Pyongyang. The Strait of Hormuz, where the United States has called for a larger South Korean role, was not discussed separately at the summit.
The summit came together dramatically. The schedule had not been fixed until the last minute, and many observers had doubted a meeting could happen as the strategic investment negotiations ran into difficulty. Lee attended a reception that began at 7 p.m. and continued talking with other leaders until shortly before the summit, officials said. Once the meeting was confirmed, the two leaders met at a separate venue, and after the 30-minute session Lee and Trump walked into the reception together. The Presidential Office said the meeting with Lee was the last of Trump's bilateral talks during the General Assembly.
Attending from the U.S. side were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. That was far more than the two aides each side had originally agreed to, according to the Presidential Office. All are key U.S. figures on the investment package, which observers read as a sign of the White House's deep interest in the outcome and progress of the investment.
Trump's First Words: "How Is the First Lady?" Golf Round Floated for December
Trump's first words after greeting Lee on the 22nd were to ask after the first lady, according to officials. He also brought up the idea of a round of golf both at the start and the end of their conversation.
According to a senior Presidential Office official, Trump shook hands with Lee at a hotel in New York and asked after Kim Hye-kyung. He then said, "We should play a round of golf." No specific date was set at the meeting.
Lee and Kim had previously met Trump at the official dinner of the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, in June this year. Trump proposed a round of golf with their spouses at that meeting as well. He appeared to be recalling that encounter in reaffirming his interest in a golf outing.
The two leaders agreed it would be good to play golf together during the Group of 20 summit in Miami in December, a Presidential Office official said. The meeting proceeded in a friendly atmosphere, coming as it did amid progress in the investment negotiations. On the U.S.-China summit scheduled for the following day, Lee said it was "important for the regional situation, including South Korea-China relations," and wished for a successful meeting.
