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President Lee Jae Myung returns to Korea from Japan, U.S. visit

Published: 28 Aug. 2025, 05:04 Updated: 28 Aug. 2025, 11:22

SARAH KIM
[email protected]

President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right, greet ministers and aides after returning on the presidential jet from the United States, at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 28. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung returned to Korea early Thursday, wrapping a six-day, two-country trip to Japan and the United States, clearing major diplomatic hurdles with key partner countries amid a changing global trade order.

During a three-day trip to the United States, Lee was successful in breaking the ice with U.S. President Donald Trump in their first summit in Washington on Monday.

Lee asked Trump to play a role as a "peacemaker" on the Korean Peninsula in their talks at the White House. Trump replied that he is interested in meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, possibly within the year.

Trump and Lee also highlighted hopes for shipbuilding cooperation, in line with Korea's $150 billion shipbuilding cooperation initiative dubbed the "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," or MASGA, project.

However, the two sides still have many tasks ahead in ironing out more details related to trade and security, and the direction they will take to modernize the alliance.

The two sides concluded a trade deal on July 30 that set tariffs on Korean exports to the United States at 15 percent, lower than the announced 25 percent. In exchange, Korea pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States.

Lee and Trump's first summit focused more on trust-building than fine-turning the details of the trade deal and the modernization of the alliance, so follow-up discussions are expected.

On Tuesday, Lee visited Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania in a trip symbolic of the shipbuilding industry cooperation between Korea and the United States.

Lee attended the christening ceremony for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration's State of Maine training vessel at the shipyard in Philadelphia, underscoring his commitment to the MASGA project.

Lee also visited Tokyo over Saturday and Sunday and held a bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The two leaders adopted a joint press statement that set the framework for building a future-oriented relationship.

Lee could have an opportunity to reunite with both leaders in late fall when the APEC summit is held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang.

Returning from Philadelphia, Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday and were greeted by officials including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]