On the 25th, US President Trump met at the White House with visiting South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to discuss topics such as the US-ROK alliance, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and US-ROK manufacturing cooperation, expressing his hope that the South Korean side would transfer ownership of the US military base lands in South Korea to the US.
In the opening segment of the US-ROK leaders’ meeting, when taking questions from the media, Trump said he intended to ask South Korea to hand over land ownership of some ‘large military bases’ for the US military in South Korea to the US side, so as to get rid of the “leasing” arrangements.
In fact, according to agreements between the US and South Korea regarding US troops stationed in South Korea, South Korea not only provides land for US military bases free of charge, but also shares a large part of the costs for maintaining the garrison.
When asked whether the US government would reduce the number of US troops stationed in South Korea, Trump said he did not want to discuss this matter “at the moment,” “because we have always been friends.”
Hopes to Meet with Kim Jong Un This Year
Regarding the plan to meet with North Korean top leader Kim Jong Un again this year or next year, Trump replied, “I want to see him this year.”
He stated: “I get along very well with him (Kim Jong Un). I think the country he leads has tremendous potential and a bright future.”
He pointed out that he looks forward to making “significant progress” in relations with North Korea together with Lee Jae-myung.
He congratulated Lee Jae-myung on being elected President of South Korea and said, “We give one hundred percent support” to Lee Jae-myung.
During his first term as president, Trump met with Kim Jong Un three times in 2018 and 2019. Their most recent meeting was in June 2019 at Panmunjom in the Korean Peninsula Demilitarized Zone.
When talking about US-ROK economic relations, Trump said the South Korean side wanted to “renegotiate” the US-ROK trade agreement reached in July.
He said: “I don’t mind. That doesn’t mean they’ll get anything.”
Trump noted that the US will work with South Korea and Japan to jointly develop oil and gas resources in the US state of Alaska, but as there are historical sensitivities between South Korea and Japan, he wonders if those issues might make it difficult for the two countries to work together.
Lee Jae-myung stated that cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan is very important, and that for the development of South Korea-US relations, South Korea-Japan relations must also be improved to some extent.
He added that the South Korean side is willing to participate in the manufacturing revival in industries such as shipbuilding that the US is promoting.