Trump’s initial warning to South Korea’s Lee turns into warm welcome after flattery

Washington – Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump went to social networks before meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday to threaten not to do business with Seoul because of a “purge or a revolution” which, according to him, took place in the country.

But any prospect of a hostile oval office meeting evaporated after Lee praised the American president – welcoming the decor, begging Trump to continue to help with Korean peace efforts and even suggesting a Trump tower in North Korea.

“We knew ourselves and we got along very well,” said Trump, before adding: “It’s a great honor to be with you and congratulate for your election. It was a big one, and we are with you 100%.”

The cordial display has shown how world leaders take notes from previous meetings between Trump and the heads of state, who have largely chosen the path of praise and adulation rather than confrontation when they are looking for favorable commercial terms and Washington continuous military aid.

It was one of the first major foreign policy tests for Lee, who took over a country in a state of political agitation since his former chief, Yoon Suk Yeol, was ousted by his functions after having imposed a martial law.

Lee, elected in June, started by renting one of Trump’s pet projects: presidential interior design.

“I heard that you recently redecorated the oval office, and I would like to say that it looks very brilliant and beautiful,” said Lee through an interpreter. “He has the dignity of America and symbolizes the new future and the prosperity of America.”

He noted that the Dow Jones index has reached record heights (although Lee made the warning that “he has dropped a little”) and asked Trump, who was on a mission to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, to bring the two Koreas together and even see the construction of a Trump tower in North Korea accompanied by a series of golf. Lee also agreed with Trump’s statement that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would not have continued to improve his nuclear capacities in recent years if Trump had remained in office.

Noting a “renaissance” that takes place, Lee said: “I think you are the only leader to have made such achievements.”

The tone was far from the publication of Trump’s conflicting social media earlier on Monday. He then explained that he was referring to the raids on the churches and on an American military base by the new South Korean government, which they “probably should not have done”.

“I heard bad things,” Trump told journalists in the oval office on Monday morning. “I don’t know if it’s true or not. I will find out. ”

Trump did not identify specific raids. But earlier this month, the South Korean police went down to a church led by a conservative militant pastor that the allege authorities are linked to a riot by the supporters of Yoon in a tribunal of Seoul in January, after having issued an arrest warrant against him.

The team of a special prosecutor who is investigating the allegations of corruption against the wife arrested by Yoon, the former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, also attacked the installations of the Unification Church for allegations according to which one of his civil servants gave his luxury products.

Meanwhile, Osan’s air base, which is used jointly by the United States and South Korea, was also the target of a raid last month by investigators examining how the activation of the Martial law of Yoon took place. South Korean investigators stressed that research was limited to Seoul controlled areas and did not involve US military operations.

Asked about his statements by a journalist before Lee, Trump refused to confront the South Korean president and said that the two would discuss it later.

“It didn’t seem like South Korea to me,” said Trump.

Lee explained that the special prosecutor had been exploited by the country’s National Assembly to investigate the actions of Yoon, who declared that Lee staged a “self -group”.

At this point, Trump intervened: “Did his name disturbed Jack Smith, by chance?” He referred to the special prosecutor who led two criminal cases against Trump before the Republican president was re -elected to a second term.

Yoon, who was elected to a five -year term in 2022, was considered more ideologically aligned with Trump and even resumed golf after the American president was re -elected last November to try to forge a link with him. Lee directed the efforts of the South Korean Parliament to overthrow the decree of the Martial Law of Yoon while dismissed it. The Country Constitutional Court officially rejected Yoon in April.

Elected in June, Lee was a former worker child with a deformation of the arm that crossed the political ranks of South Korea to lead the Liberal Democratic Party and win the presidency after several attempts.

During a subsequent remark for Washington on Monday evening, Lee suggested that Trump’s post had been “threatening” and said that it was worried that he could face a “Zelenksyy moment” – similar when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was extended from the Oval Office by Trump and Vice -President JD Vance after a controversial meeting FEBRUARY.

But Lee also said that the South Korean American relationship was strong enough for him to be confident that Trump does not work to undermine him. Instead, he said that the pair had “very good conversations” which went “beyond my expectations” and took more time than expected.

“Everyone gave me the advice to have patience,” said Lee about his meeting with Trump.

He said he also told Trump that South Korea would increase his defense expenses, even if it strives to facilitate tensions between his country and North Korea.

“We will increase our defense budget, which will be used to transform the Korean army into an intelligent army that will prevail in the future,” said Lee.

Lee said that he and Trump also discussed the modernization of trade relations in their country, which follows a July agreement that has invested that Seoul is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States that the agreement established prices on South Korean products at 15% after Trump threatened the rates of up to 25%.

Seoul has one of the largest trade surpluses among the NATO and Indo-Pacific Allies of Washington, and the countries where the United States has a trade deficit have attracted Trump’s particular anger, which wants to eliminate these commercial imbalances.

Trump also said on Monday that he would like to scratch the American lease with South Korea which covers Osan air base and obtain the property of the field.

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The writer Associated Press Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.