Korean Media: Trump to Meet Lee Jae-myung in South Korea Today, Tariff Issues May Dominate Talks

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (China News Network) — According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a bilateral meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province on the afternoon of the 29th. Tariff issues are expected to be a key topic of discussion.

Reportedly, Trump will conclude his visit to Japan on the morning of the 29th and then travel to South Korea. This meeting marks the first between the South Korean and U.S. leaders in nearly two months since their talks in Washington in August. The South Korean Presidential Office stated that this represents the shortest interval between mutual visits by the leaders of the two countries in history.

The talks will be held at the Gyeongju National Museum. The two leaders will inscribe a guestbook, take commemorative photos, attend a welcome ceremony, and engage in exchanges before formally commencing extensive talks and a working lunch.

The report indicated that the South Korea-U.S. leaders will discuss hot-button bilateral issues, including tariff negotiations and the South Korea-U.S. alliance, during the meeting. Regarding tariff negotiations, the two countries have differences over issues such as the investment method and income distribution related to South Korea's $350 billion investment project in the United States, leading to a prolonged stalemate in the talks.

It is reported that under these circumstances, whether the two leaders can narrow their differences is drawing widespread attention. However, within the South Korean Presidential Office, it is believed that due to the significant gap in the positions of the two countries, the possibility of concluding the tariff negotiations during this meeting is very slim.