August 21, 2025
SEOUL – Next week, there will be a summit meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in Washington. Besides the tariff issue on which the two countries recently reached an agreement, experts say that there will be a lot to discuss at the meeting, such as cost-sharing for the US troops deployed in Korea, changing the role of US troops on the Korean Peninsula, and transferring wartime operational control of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. The Korean people will be anxiously watching this important event with high expectations that President Lee may return home with fruitful results.
However, the higher our hopes, the greater our disappointment will be. The current situation is not in our favor, as the Trump administration’s outstanding policy is “America First” — not “other countries first” or “our allies first.” Moreover, we hold no advantage at the negotiation table. Anyway, a summit meeting is not usually the place for tense negotiations. Rather, they are symbolic events that confirm mutual friendship between countries. Usually, policymakers conduct negotiations behind the scenes in advance. Thus, instead of having high hopes for the summit, we should brace ourselves for the outcome, whatever it may be.
Under the circumstances, we can only hope that the two presidents become good friends during the summit, and that the friendship continues in the future. Then, the two leaders can discuss and negotiate a host of other matters later — there is no need to rush. At the summit, therefore, making a good impression is much more important than trying to negotiate or win an argument. We need to look further afield and far ahead.
To build trust, perhaps President Lee should assure President Trump that he does not support authoritarian socialist countries, but is a leader in the Free World who values liberal democracy and the South Korea-US alliance. In Washington, some American politicians and policymakers are concerned about the radical atmosphere of the Democratic Party in Korea, which, in their eyes, favors socialist countries. President Lee will need to dispel such worries and suspicions in order to maintain the rock-solid alliance between South Korea and the United States. As President Lee must know already, the moment he assumed the presidency, he took on the solemn duty of representing and serving his country and people, not his political party or ideology.
As for the transfer of wartime command, there is absolutely no rush to pursue it because the project reflects America’s intention and policy of avoiding involvement in overseas conflicts. If and when a Korean general is given command in wartime, the US can easily pull out its troops from the Korean Peninsula. This is military strategy and tactics 101. Besides, US troops will never be under a foreign general’s command. That too is American military studies 101. Not realizing it, many Koreans are naively elated, thinking that if wartime command is transferred, US troops would be under the command of a Korean general if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula.
Having a summit meeting with Japan before coming to the US was a wise choice for President Lee. The gesture could symbolize that Korea and Japan are close friends and important allies of the US. At the same time, President Lee might get some helpful tips from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has already had a summit meeting with President Trump.
In Washington, President Lee should remind President Trump of the importance and strategic value of the Republic of Korea as a blood ally. President Lee should also discuss with President Trump the things South Korea and the US could do together in the future for global peace. Cooperating through Korea’s cutting-edge shipbuilding technology might be an example. The possibility of Korea-US collaboration on semiconductors and electric car batteries could be another.
President Lee should also remind President Trump that Korea has been contributing greatly to the American economy by building automobile and semiconductor factories on US soil, creating numerous jobs for American workers. Another thing President Lee may want to mention is that, together with Japan, Korea is also an indispensable military partner of the US, which America can rely on if international conflicts arise in East Asia.
President Lee may also want to discuss Korea’s vulnerability to possible nuclear attack by North Korea, especially amid the chaos of international conflicts. From President Trump, he should secure Washington’s unconditional guarantee of protection under the US nuclear umbrella.
The above-mentioned things are as important and urgent as the tariff issue and cost-sharing for US troops stationed in Korea. Both national security and the economy are equally crucial to us. We strongly hope that the two leaders can discuss those issues in depth during the summit meeting in Washington. We also hope that through the meaningful event, both Korea and America can understand each other better and strengthen their invaluable ties.
Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.