Lee, Trump discuss cooperation on building US military vessels during NATO dinner: spokesperson

President Lee Jae Myung talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, second from left, during a dinner banquet on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, in this pool photo. Yonhap

ANKARA — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump had follow-up discussions on Trump's earlier request for Seoul's assistance in building military vessels at the ongoing North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, Lee's presidential spokesperson said Wednesday.

The two held such discussions the previous day at a dinner banquet hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, according to Kang Yu-jung.

Lee earlier said the U.S. president had asked him whether South Korea could help build U.S. military vessels when they met at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, last month.

In response, Lee said he would cooperate with Trump's request as fully as possible, highlighting the advanced capabilities of South Korea's shipbuilding companies, according to Kang.

The leaders also agreed to continue working-level consultations between their countries to discuss details of the proposed cooperation.

The encounter between Lee and Trump came just three weeks after they met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.

The leaders recalled their promise at the G7 summit to play golf together, and agreed to pursue Lee's visit to the United States at an appropriate time, which could include a round of golf, the spokesperson said.