• South Korean President Lee to meet Trump on August 25 over trade and security issues.
• The leaders will discuss a new trade agreement, lowering tariffs, and defense costs.
• Focus on strategic cooperation in manufacturing sectors including semiconductors and shipbuilding.
• Seoul commits to significant investments in the US, highlighting economic partnership.
• Nuclear threats from North Korea will be a critical topic during their discussions.

US President Donald Trump will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on August 25 in Washington for their first summit, aiming to strengthen the bilateral alliance and revisit trade agreements. The meeting comes at a pivotal moment as Lee, elected in June, prioritizes navigating the global trading environment impacted by Trump’s tariff policies, particularly amid rising tensions with North Korea, according to channelnewsasia and lemonde.

During this summit, the leaders will discuss a range of topics centering on security cooperation, especially against North Korea's nuclear threats, and the enhancement of their "future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance." Specifically, they will explore sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, and shipbuilding, while also addressing the recent trade agreement that reduced tariffs on South Korean goods from 25% to 15%, as stated by channelnewsasia, trtglobal, and lemonde.

Seoul is also set to commit to substantial investments in the United States, including a $100 billion energy purchase and an additional $350 billion for investments that will be discussed at the summit. Trump's administration aims to leverage this meeting to push for enhanced contributions from South Korea towards defense spending, particularly concerning the 28,500 American troops stationed in the country, according to channelnewsasia, lemonde, and trtglobal.

The significance of this summit is heightened by the Trump administration's recent calls for South Korea to increase its defense expenditure to 3.8% of GDP, raising awareness regarding the changing dynamics of their military alliance. Additionally, questions about non-tariff barriers and mutual investments in defense capabilities are expected to be both central and contentious topics during the meeting, as noted by lemonde and trtglobal.