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President Lee to meet Trump for first summit on Aug. 25, officials say

Published: 07 Aug. 2025, 09:03 Updated: 07 Aug. 2025, 16:30

Lee Jae Myung, president of Korea, left, and Donald Trump, president of the United States [YONHAP, REUTERS/YONHAP]

WASHINGTON — Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet for the first time on Aug. 25, 82 days after Lee took office on June 4.

The Korean and U.S. governments have finalized the date for a summit between the two countries’ leaders on Aug. 25 and are expected to announce it soon, according to local sources and government officials in Washington.

Lee is expected to arrive in the United States around Aug. 24 and hold a summit with Trump on Aug. 25. After weeks of behind-the-scenes coordination on the date and agenda, the two governments have confirmed the schedule, and the presidential office in Yongsan is preparing to make an official announcement.

During his visit, Lee will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and is expected to stay in the Washington area for three to four days.

It is not yet confirmed whether the summit will yield a joint statement, but the Korean government is working with the U.S. side to produce a formal declaration reflecting bilateral agreements. If both sides agree to issue a joint statement, it is expected to reaffirm the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance, express intentions to deepen and expand the partnership and emphasize the significance of trilateral security cooperation between Korea, the United States and Japan.

"The Lee administration’s recognition of the importance of Korea-Japan relations and trilateral cooperation is not expected to differ significantly from previous governments," said a local source. "Such content would naturally be included in the joint statement if one is adopted."

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on July 30. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Donald Trump pauses while speaking during an announcement about Apple with Apple CEO Tim Cook in the Oval Office on Aug. 6, in Washington. [AP/YONHAP]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who visited the United States late last month to finalize the summit schedule and agenda with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House officials, had visited Japan prior to his trip to the United States. In Tokyo, Cho met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to reaffirm the value of trilateral cooperation and express a shared commitment to future-oriented, Korea-Japan relations.

During the summit, Lee may also offer more concrete plans regarding investment in the United States.

Trump previously wrote on social media on July 30 that the outcome of Korea-U.S. trade negotiations had been finalized, adding that the investment amount by Korea will be announced during the bilateral summit at the White House within two weeks.

However, the summit became unfeasible due to scheduling conflicts with Korea's Aug. 15 Liberation Day ceremony and visits by key foreign guests. Still, during the summit on Aug. 25, Lee is widely expected to unveil investment plans that include both existing and new investments in the United States by major private conglomerates. This would be in addition to the $350 billion in investments agreed to during the trade negotiations.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM HYOUNG-GU [[email protected]]