• Trump and Lee Jae-myung held their first summit amid rising tensions with North Korea.
• Trump criticized South Korea over concerns of a "purge or revolution" just hours before the meeting.
• Lee proposed denuclearization efforts and a possible meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un.
• North Korea condemned Lee, calling him a "hypocrite" for his denuclearization remarks.
• Trade tariffs were set at 15% for South Korean goods following recent negotiations.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with US President Donald Trump in Washington, where the agenda encompassed trade, defense, and inter-Korean relations. This meeting marked Lee's first summit with Trump following tense months leading up to the talks, characterized by Trump's controversial remarks suggesting a "purge or revolution" was occurring in South Korea due to political upheaval, particularly surrounding former President Yoon Suk-yeol's recent removal from office. Trump's comments had sparked significant concerns from Lee's administration, referring to a possible "Zelensky moment," drawing parallels with the tense exchange Ukrainian President Zelensky faced with Trump earlier this year, according to Los Angeles Times and India Times.

During the summit, Lee emphasized the need for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and stated that the Seoul-Washington alliance could reach a "global level" under conditions of peace and coexistence. He expressed a hope for Trump's assistance in facilitating dialogue with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, stating, "The only person who can make progress is you, Mr. President," as reported by Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

However, North Korea swiftly responded by disparaging Lee as a "hypocrite," asserting that the idea of denuclearization was "naive," and reaffirming its commitment to its nuclear arsenal, describing it as an "inevitable" course due to external threats, as stated in their official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) commentary, according to India Times and TRT Global.

The leaders also discussed trade issues, where notable agreements included setting tariffs on South Korean goods at 15%. This tariff reduction was part of an investment deal worth approximately $350 billion in U.S. manufacturing sectors, highlighting the ongoing need for economic cooperation alongside military dialogues. Trump's comments on needing ownership of the land used for US military bases in South Korea introduced new challenges into the diplomatic relationship, as noted by South China Morning Post and BBC.

Lee's visit also included attempts to strengthen trilateral cooperation with Japan, reaffirming regional partnerships amid pressures from North Korean actions and fluctuating US-China relations. The summit marked a pivotal point for Lee's administration, as he navigates a path of diplomacy aimed at stabilizing inter-Korean ties while addressing defense and economic matters, according to Newsweek and Channel News Asia.