President Trump met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and prioritized North Korea, saying he would like to meet Kim Jong Un and claiming very good relationships with Kim and North Korea. Trump recalled meeting Kim during his first term and said he looks forward to seeing him again. Lee sought expanded cooperation on shipbuilding and other manufacturing sectors, and Trump said he would have serious discussions on the U.S.–South Korea trade relationship. Trump pressed South Korea to pay more to host about 28,500 U.S. troops and said he wants U.S. ownership of land where American bases sit. The leaders presented a friendly public tone despite earlier critical social media remarks from Trump.
"I have very good relationships with Kim Jong Un and North Korea," Trump told reporters as he sat alongside Lee. He even suggested that he had a better relationship with Kim than almost anyone except for Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong. "A lot of people would say, 'That's terrible.' No, it's good," Trump added, recalling meeting with the North Korean leader during his first term. "In fact, some day, I'll see him," Trump said of a possible second-term meeting with Kim.
Meanwhile, Trump also said he wanted the US to take ownership of the land where American bases are located in South Korea. The US president pressed the ally to pay more to host some 28,500 American troops. "We spent a lot of money building a fort, and there was a contribution made by South Korea, but I would like to see if we could get rid of the lease and get ownership of the land where we have a massive military base," Trump said.
#north-korea-diplomacy #us-south-korea-relations #us-military-bases-in-south-korea #trade-and-manufacturing-cooperation
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