Trump isn’t afraid to stand up to his enemies. He’s not one to back down at all.
And Donald Trump is making plans to confront this evil dictator in his boldest move yet.
Trump Signals New Push for North Korea Talks, Trade Progress with South Korea
During an Oval Office meeting on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump voiced enthusiasm for a potential sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the year’s close, while also hinting at advancing trade discussions with South Korea. Hosting South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, at the White House, Trump mixed diplomacy with some critiques of the longtime ally.
Reviving Diplomacy with North Korea
“I’d like to meet him this year,” Trump told reporters, referring to Kim with his signature confidence. “I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong Un in the appropriate future.”
The remarks echo his earlier efforts at direct diplomacy with North Korea during his 2017-2021 term, which, despite high-profile summits, yielded no agreement to halt Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
Trade Tensions and Triumphs
The meeting followed a July trade deal that spared South Korean exports from tougher U.S. tariffs. Still, unresolved issues—ranging from nuclear energy to military spending and a $350 billion South Korean investment package in the U.S.—continue to create debate.
Trump, ever the dealmaker, sounded optimistic, saying, “I think we have a deal done.”
He added, “They had some problems with it, but we stuck to our guns … They’re gonna make the deal that they agreed to make,” though specifics remained scarce.
Lee’s Diplomatic Charm Offensive
Lee, a liberal navigating a complex geopolitical landscape, leaned on a tried-and-true strategy for visiting leaders: charm and flattery.
He revealed he’d studied “Trump: The Art of the Deal” to prepare and even floated the idea of golfing at a future “Trump World” real-estate complex in North Korea.
Speaking in Korean, Lee urged Trump to pursue peace, saying, “I hope you can bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, the only divided nation in the world, so that you can meet with Kim Jong Un … and so that you can truly play a role as a world-historical peacemaker.”
The lighthearted tone stood in contrast to the tense visits of leaders like Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy in February and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa in May.
Economic Ties and Military Frictions
Beyond the White House, Lee joined a business forum with executives from major U.S. firms like Nvidia, Boeing, and General Motors. Sources suggest Korean Air is set to announce a major order for about 100 Boeing aircraft, signaling deepening economic ties.
However, Trump raised concerns about South Korean investigations targeting churches and a joint U.S.-South Korea military base, citing undisclosed “intel.” Recent raids on Sarang Jeil Church, led by evangelical preacher Jun Kwang-hoon, and a search at a military base tied to former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law attempt have stirred controversy, with South Korea’s far-right viewing Yoon as a victim of political persecution.
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