Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Lee Jae-myung holds first phone call with Trump, reaffirming Seoul-Washington alliance
President Lee Jae-myung talks with U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone at his official residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first phone call late Friday night, reaffirming the strength and importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance.
According to the presidential office, Trump congratulated Lee on his election victory, to which Lee expressed his gratitude, underscoring the importance of the alliance, which forms the foundation of Seoul's diplomacy.
In the 20-minute conversation, the two leaders went on to speak highly of each other's leadership and agreed to work closely together to further strengthen the bilateral alliance between the two countries.
With regards to tariff negotiations between Korea and the U.S., the two presidents agreed to strive toward reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement as soon as possible. They also agreed to encourage tangible progress in working-level negotiations.
Trump invited Lee to the U.S., and Lee welcomed the invitation, expressing a desire for frequent high-level exchanges. The leaders agreed to meet in person at the earliest possible opportunity, potentially during a multilateral summit or a dedicated bilateral visit for more in-depth discussions on advancing the Korea-U.S. alliance.
The presidential office said the phone call was "conducted in a friendly and candid atmosphere," with the two presidents also sharing various anecdotes and experiences from their election campaigns. In particular, they exchanged views on surviving assassination attempts and the political challenges they had each faced, and found common ground in the belief that strong leadership emerges through overcoming adversity.
In addition, the two presidents talked about their golf skills and agreed to play a round together when time permits. Lee shared an anecdote about receiving a Trump-signed hat as a gift, to which Trump showed interest.
The presidential office views the call as not only addressing key diplomatic issues but also laying the foundation for trust and camaraderie between the two leaders.
U.S. President Donald Trump / AP-Yonhap