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President Lee Jae-myung. / Source: Yonhap News

The first Korea-U.S. summit under President Lee Jae-myung’s administration is expected to take place as early as late July in the United States.

With both sides facing pressing issues—South Korea seeking to resolve tariff disputes led by U.S. President Donald Trump, and Washington pushing for a hike in Seoul’s defense cost-sharing for U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula—the likelihood of a summit this month is growing. “The timing is still being coordinated, and nothing has been finalized,” a senior presidential official said on June 30.

Regarding reports that President Lee will travel to the U.S. in the fourth week of July for the summit, the official dismissed them as “speculative.” However, the possibility of a Korea-U.S. summit taking place within the month remains open.

National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac attended the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–25 on behalf of President Lee, where he met with President Trump and Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio. Wi said they reached a consensus on the need to expedite the summit. “There was an agreement on the need to push for the Korea-U.S. summit sooner rather than later,” he noted. “Though no date has been set, the shared sense of urgency itself is a meaningful outcome.”

If the summit is confirmed, major agenda items are expected to include tariffs and increased defense cost-sharing for the U.S. Forces Korea. Preliminary talks on defense spending have already begun behind the scenes.

President Trump reportedly expressed renewed interest in bilateral cooperation on shipbuilding during his meeting with Wi last week in the Netherlands—something Seoul may use as leverage in tariff negotiations.

If Secretary Rubio visits South Korea next month while attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Malaysia on August 10, momentum for finalizing the summit schedule is expected to grow.