Trump holds talks with S. Korea leader on his final stop for Asia trip

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump held talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday, wrapping up the final leg of his week-long tour of Asia. The meeting took place amid faltering efforts to finalize a long-discussed trade deal between Washington and Seoul.

Despite nearly two hours of private discussions, officials from both sides indicated that no breakthrough had been reached. Negotiations have been stuck for months over how South Korea’s previously announced $350 billion investment in the US would be structured. The deal, initially unveiled in July to help Seoul avoid steep tariffs, remains unresolved.

While the US and South Korea remain close allies, relations have recently been strained after the detention of hundreds of South Koreans in a US immigration raid last month.

Trump’s visit to South Korea precedes a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in Busan, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in nearby Gyeongju. The encounter will mark their first face-to-face talks since Trump took office in 2025 and introduced sweeping global tariffs.

Speaking to business leaders in Gyeongju, Trump said he believed the US and China were “going to have a deal,” describing it as “a good deal for both.” He also praised APEC member states for working to repair what he called a “broken” global trading system. “Economic security is national security,” Trump said. “That's for South Korea, that's for any country.”

Before his meeting with President Lee, Trump received a ceremonial welcome that included an honor guard and several symbolic gifts — among them a golden crown, which prompted him to joke, “I’d like to wear it right now.” He was also awarded the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, South Korea’s highest honor, given “in recognition of his contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Both leaders shared a working lunch followed by a private session, but neither side released details of progress on trade issues. Hopes had been high among South Korea’s major industries — including electronics, chipmaking, and automotive manufacturing — for signs of clarity amid ongoing tariff disputes.

Earlier this year, Washington imposed a 25% tariff on South Korean goods, later reduced to 15% after Seoul agreed to invest heavily in the US and purchase $100 billion in liquefied natural gas. However, subsequent talks stalled when the White House pushed for more direct cash investments.

Trump’s visit also came as North Korea conducted a test of surface-to-air cruise missiles. The US president said he was open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but added that scheduling issues prevented such a meeting during his trip. “We will see what we can do to get that all straightened out,” he told reporters.

Outside the summit venue, small groups of protesters gathered to voice opposition to Trump’s visit, while larger pro-Trump crowds assembled nearby, many expressing anti-China sentiments. Analysts noted that anti-Chinese rhetoric has been gaining traction in South Korea in recent years, increasingly appearing in political discourse and online conspiracy theories.

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