Washington's demands for USFK flexibility 'hard to accept,' President Lee says before Trump summit
Published: 25 Aug. 2025, 15:57
Updated: 25 Aug. 2025, 17:21
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- SARAH KIM
- [email protected]
![President Lee Jae Myung, center, speaks to reporters on the presidential jet on Aug. 24 en route from Tokyo to Washington ahead of his bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/25/14d30e19-220f-4d3a-be8c-1a8153248141.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, center, speaks to reporters on the presidential jet on Aug. 24 en route from Tokyo to Washington ahead of his bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Lee made the remark while speaking to the press on the presidential jet en route to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Regarding the "modernization" of the bilateral alliance, Lee told reporters, "It is true that there are demands from the U.S. side for flexibility" regarding the scope of the U.S. Forces Korea [USFK]."
However, he added that such demands were "hard to agree to," noting there is a "need to discuss a future-oriented strategy for USFK."
"Modernization" of the alliance could include demands by Washington that Seoul increase defense spending and redefine the role of U.S. troops in Korea through "strategic flexibility" to better counter China and strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region as the U.S.-China rivalry heats up.
"The process is very difficult," Lee said regarding trade negotiations with the United States, but noted that this knowledge "allows us to prepare in advance."
The summit materialized after Seoul and Washington agreed on a trade deal at the end of July that set tariffs on Korean exports to the United States at 15 percent, while Korea in turn pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States.
Lee disclosed that the United States is demanding revisions to some of the terms agreed on in the trade negotiations concluded on July 30, adding, "Some in the United States clearly believe the negotiations ended in Korea's favor, so demands for some changes are emerging in various U.S. departments."
![President Lee Jae Myung, left, speaks to reporters on the presidential jet on Aug. 24 en route from Tokyo to Washington ahead of his bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/25/e89f78bb-d0a9-478b-b6df-0eb42306033e.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, left, speaks to reporters on the presidential jet on Aug. 24 en route from Tokyo to Washington ahead of his bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
On how he has prepared for Trump's negotiation style, Lee said he has read "The Art of the Deal."
He also said he "received a lot of advice" from the Japanese side during his summit Saturday with Japan's prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba.
Lee also expressed his intention to raise the matter of establishing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula during his summit, noting that the North Korean issue "is critical to us."
When asked about the possibility of North Korea being discussed at the South Korea-U.S. summit, the president said, "President Trump or I could raise the agenda for the summit," adding that he intends to "discuss whatever is necessary without restrictions."
However, when asked whether he would invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the APEC summit in Gyeongju in late October, Lee said that while the circumstances may seem similar to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which invited a high-level North Korean delegation and led to a period of detente on the Korean Peninsula, his view is that the current situation is "much worse."
"Distrust has deepened significantly, and hostility has grown," Lee said.
Pointing out that the global trade, diplomatic and security situations have changed dramatically, Lee called to "make an effort to protect the national interests of South Korea" as the world collectively becomes more self-centered.
![President Lee Jae Myung, center, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right, listen to a toast by U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, left, at a dinner for the Korean American community held at a hotel on Aug. 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/25/7a20bebf-0819-44ff-ba7b-a3ae9a4c9138.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, center, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right, listen to a toast by U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, left, at a dinner for the Korean American community held at a hotel on Aug. 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Lee also noted that nuclear energy cooperation is a critical task and that the revision of a bilateral civil nuclear energy agreement is a pending issue being discussed between the two countries, without specifying further.
On Sunday afternoon, Lee, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung, arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, beginning the second leg of their six-day, two-country tour, which earlier took them to Tokyo for a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Ishiba.
![President Lee Jae Myung, left, receives flowers from a girl at a dinner event with the Korean American community at a hotel in Washington on Aug. 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/25/b7352e90-d838-479b-b54b-0251c4905e91.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, left, receives flowers from a girl at a dinner event with the Korean American community at a hotel in Washington on Aug. 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
During the event, Lee promised to work toward resolving the issue of lowering the age limit for dual citizenship for Korean Americans."
Under the current Nationality Act, dual citizenship is permitted for Korean Americans with overseas citizenship who are 65 years or older, despite calls to lower this age to address the declining population issue and attract foreign talent.
Lee said through his summit with Trump, he plans to "explore ways to jointly respond to the rapid changes in the international order and further develop the Korea-U.S. alliance."
He continued, "The Korea-U.S. relationship, which began as a military alliance, evolved into an economic alliance and beyond into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance."
BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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