President Donald Trump welcomed Lee Jae Myung, the new president of South Korea, to the White House on Monday afternoon for talks expected to center on trade and defense.
Hours ahead of the visit, Trump posted on social media that a “Purge or Revolution” was taking place in South Korea and threatened not to do business with Seoul. It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to, but South Korea had been in a state of political turmoil for the last several months after its former leader, the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, was ousted from office after imposing martial law last December.
Before Trump’s post, the first in-person meeting between him and the liberal Lee had been expected to help flesh out details of a July trade deal between the two countries that has Seoul investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. The agreement set tariffs on South Korean goods at 15% after Trump threatened rates as high as 25%.
South Korean president arrives at the White House
Lee Jae Myung, the new president of South Korea, has arrived at the White House for his meeting with Trump.
He waved to the gathered press as Trump welcomed him on the West Wing driveway.
They are now headed for their meeting at the Oval Office.