Lee, Trump discussed shipbuilding in brief New York meeting: White House
Summary
Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump held a brief meeting in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where they discussed shipbuilding cooperation and other topics. Seoul said the talks also covered North Korea dialogue, nuclear-powered submarines, uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing rights, and wartime operational control transfer. Trump reaffirmed his commitment to resuming dialogue with North Korea.
Key Facts
- The White House official said the meeting took place during the Leaders Reception at the United Nations General Assembly.
- The meeting lasted about 30 minutes, according to a presidential official in Seoul.
- South Korea has pledged US$350 billion in investment in the United States under last year’s bilateral trade deal, with $150 billion set aside for the shipbuilding sector.
- Seoul said the leaders discussed South Korea’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and secure rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful civil purposes.
- The leaders also discussed joint efforts for the transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul from Washington.
President Lee Jae Myung, left, talking with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Tuesday. Yonhap
WASHINGTON — A White House official said Wednesday South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed shipbuilding cooperation and other topics during a meeting on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly this week.
The official made the remarks in response to Yonhap News Agency's question about the meeting on Tuesday, where Seoul officials said that the leaders discussed key issues, including Seoul's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and secure rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful civil purposes.
"President Trump and President Lee had a brief meeting on the sidelines of the Leaders Reception at the United Nations General Assembly, where they discussed shipbuilding cooperation among other topics," the official said in an email.
After the 30-minute meeting, a presidential official told reporters that Trump expressed interest in shipbuilding cooperation, as the Trump administration seeks cooperation with South Korea to rebuild the United States Navy and shipbuilding industry.
Under last year's bilateral trade deal, South Korea pledged to invest US$350 billion in the U.S. Of the total, $150 billion has been set aside for the shipbuilding sector.
During the meeting, Trump also reaffirmed his commitment to resuming dialogue with North Korea, according to Seoul's presidential office.
In addition, the leaders discussed joint efforts for the transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul from Washington, the office said.
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