Home > National > Diplomacy

President Lee meets Trump at the White House — in pictures

Published: 03 Sep. 2025, 11:53

President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, and presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, far right, speak with U.S. President Donald Trump, far left, who is seated at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Aug. 25. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

The White House on Monday released over 40 official photographs of the Korea-U.S. summit, taken by its official photographer, through the photo-sharing site Flickr.

The series of photos, uploaded to the White House’s official Flickr account, were taken on Aug. 25, the day of the summit. They include images of U.S. President Donald Trump greeting Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the entrance of the West Wing of the White House, as well as moments captured after the press left the meeting room following the public portion of the talks.

In one photo, Trump is seen posing for the media before extending his right hand to guide Lee toward the Oval Office, where the summit took place.

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 25 at the West Wing entrance of the White House. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

Ahead of the meeting, Lee signed the White House guestbook. One photo shows Trump pulling out a chair for Lee, who then writes in Korean in brown ink: “A new era of a strong and great future begins in the golden age of the Korea-U.S. alliance. Aug. 25, 2025. President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung.”

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, front, signs the guest book in the Roosevelt Room on Aug. 25 before a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

Korean President Lee Jae Myung signs the guest book in the Roosevelt Room on Aug. 25 before a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

One striking photo captures Lee speaking to Trump while placing his hand on the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. Trump is seated, while Lee leans in slightly with his left hand on the desk and his right hand extended as he addresses the U.S. president. Next to Lee are presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and an interpreter.

On the desk, several red “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) caps, signed by Trump as gifts for Lee and the Korean delegation, are neatly arranged.

Other photos show Lee examining a coffee table book given to him by Trump, as the U.S. president signs the caps. The two leaders are also seen taking commemorative photos and shaking hands at the desk.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral meeting with Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 25 in the Oval Office in Washington. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, hosts a bilateral meeting with Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, on Aug. 25 in the Oval Office in Washington. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

Photos from the working luncheon that followed the summit were also released, showing President Lee seated with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan in the White House Cabinet Room, with the flags of Korea and the United States in the background.

Another image captures Trump pointing at a television monitor in the Oval Office showing a Fox News segment about the summit, as he appears to explain something to Lee.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral meeting with Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 25 in the Oval Office in Washington. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

U.S. President Donald Trump, right, hosts a bilateral meeting with Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 25 in the Oval Office in Washington. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral lunch with Korean President Lee Jae Myung, shown in the center of this image, on Aug. 25 in the Cabinet Room. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

U.S. President Donald Trump and Korean President Lee Jae Myung pause in the Outer Oval Offices to view news coverage of their just completed bilateral meeting on Aug. 25 in the Oval Office. [THE WHITE HOUSE]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]