Trump's outburst sparks tensions as talks begin... President Lee's explanation:"I'm certain there was a misunderstanding."
Discussing North Korea policy,"President Lee's approach is far superior to many South Korean presidents."
Trump repeatedly praises Lee: "You're a warrior, and you'll have full US support."
(Washington = Yonhap News) Reporters Lim Hyeong-seop, Seol Seung-eun, and Hwang Yun-gi = At the Korea-US summit held in Washington D.C. on the 25th (local time), the atmosphere changed like a roller coaster every moment due to US President Donald Trump's 'polar' remarks.
President Trump briefly froze the South Korean government before the start of the meeting by using harsh words such as “purge” and “revolution,” but later praised President Lee as a “great leader” and led the meeting to a amicable conclusion.
The beginning was the 'outrageous remarks' made by President Trump just before the White House Oval Office summit that afternoon.
About two and a half hours before the summit, President Trump posted on his social media account, Truth Social,"What is happening in Korea? It looks like a purge or a revolution. We cannot accept it, and we cannot do business there."
He also claimed at the signing of the executive order just before the summit that "I heard that in the past few days, the South Korean government has been raiding churches and gathering intelligence at our military bases."
This part raised concerns that he was foreshadowing his uniquely rough 'pressure tactics' to seize the initiative in the meeting with the president, even by using the unusual method of bringing up the other party's internal situation.
Immediately after, President Lee and President Trump directly exchanged questions and answers with reporters during a meeting held in the Oval Office of the White House.
President Trump, in response to a question about his social media post, said,"I heard there was a raid on the church. If that's true, it's regrettable," and asked for an explanation from President Lee.
In response, President Lee explained,"A fact-finding investigation is underway by a special prosecutor appointed by the National Assembly," and "What the prosecutor is doing is fact-checking, and it seems that he did not directly investigate the US military, but rather confirmed the control system of the Korean military within that unit."
President Trump then said,"I think it was a misunderstanding," adding,"There were rumors about a raid on a church, and I'm sure it was a misunderstanding."
In the latter half of the meeting, he poured out his praise for the president without hesitation.
Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said in a briefing that during the private meeting, President Trump had said things like,"You are a warrior," and "You will receive full support from the United States," and that "he had emphasized their closeness several times in front of many people."
President Trump also reportedly hand-wrote a message to President Lee, saying,"You are a great man and a great leader. Korea will have a wonderful future with you, and I am always with you."
Regarding the president's proposal to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he said,"I've dealt with many leaders in South Korea, but this president's approach is far superior."
