South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with President Donald Trump for about 30 minutes in New York on Tuesday, agreeing to deepen cooperation between the allies on a range of security issues, including nuclear submarine fuel supply, enrichment and reprocessing, shipbuilding and the transfer of wartime operational control.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a briefing in New York that the two leaders welcomed progress in discussions on strategic investment projects between the two countries. He said they also confirmed a shared commitment to continue follow-up talks on the issues raised in last year’s joint statement, including nuclear fuel, enrichment and reprocessing, shipbuilding cooperation and wartime operational control.
Wi said Trump reaffirmed his willingness to talk with North Korea, and the two leaders agreed to stay in close communication so they can help open the door to dialogue and build sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula. He added that Lee also said the planned U.S.-China summit the next day would be important for regional affairs, including South Korea’s relations with China, and wished it success.
For readers unfamiliar with the issue, wartime operational control refers to command authority over allied forces in war, a long-running topic in South Korea-U.S. military relations. The meeting came as Lee was in the United States for the U.N. General Assembly, where South Korea has sought to advance both security coordination and broader bilateral cooperation.
