Anchor: President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to meet for a summit on August 25. The presidential office in Seoul says Lee will visit the United States from August 24 to 26 for the summit at Trump’s invitation. In their first face-to-face meeting, the top office added, the two leaders are expected to discuss ways to develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: Security issues are expected to top the agenda when Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump meet for their first summit in Washington later this month. 

Announcing the South Korea-U.S. summit, scheduled on August 25, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the two leaders will discuss ways to transform their alliance.

[Sound bite: Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung (Korean-English)]
“The two leaders will discuss ways to develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership in response to the changing international security and economic environment. While strengthening the solid South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, the two sides will discuss ways to collaborate to achieve peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.”

Washington is looking to reconfigure its relationships with key Indo-Pacific allies to effectively contain China’s growing influence in the region. 

With South Korea, discussions are expected to center on the 28-thousand-500 U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula, as Washington seeks alternative ways to mobilize its military power for other contingencies in the South China Sea.
       
[Sound bite: Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung (Korean-English)]
“Based on the recent trade deal, the two leaders will seek ways to strengthen their economic security partnership by discussing economic cooperation in the areas of semiconductors, batteries and shipbuilding, as well as collaboration on key high-tech minerals.”

Seoul reached a trade deal with Washington, curtailing the 25 percent reciprocal and auto tariffs to 15 percent in return for investment plans.

The two sides largely avoided discussing defense issues during their recent tariff negotiations.

While Seoul has yet to reveal exactly where it stands on defense cost-sharing and other sensitive topics, foreign policy experts say Lee and Trump will also have to clinch the details of Seoul’s investment pledges while forging a new formula for their modernized alliance. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.