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President Lee Jae-myung is set to finalize Liberation Day pardon decisions and key ambassadorial appointments while preparing for his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung is expected to make swift decisions on major issues—including strategy for the anticipated late-August summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and the August 15 Liberation Day special pardons—after returning from summer vacation on August 8.

Lee spent his break on Jeodo Island in South Gyeongsang from August 2, but continued issuing instructions on current affairs, including a probe into lawmaker Lee Chun-seok’s alleged stock dealings and measures over a fatal accident at POSCO E&C. While on vacation, he received a pardon list report from Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho and is expected to finalize the inclusion of former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk. Former Gyeonggi Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young is said to have been excluded from consideration.

Diplomatic appointments, including ambassadors to the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia, could also be announced as early as this weekend to prepare for the summit. Former Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam and former Korea National Diplomatic Academy head Cho Byung-jae are rumored candidates for Washington, with Lee Kwang-jae, former governor of Gangwon, mentioned for Beijing, and Lee Hyuk, Ha Tae-yoon, and Seoul National University professor Kim Hyun-chul for Tokyo.

The summit with Trump is expected to touch on “modernizing” the U.S.-Korea alliance, with possible U.S. requests for higher defense spending and expanded South Korean military roles. Lee’s challenge will be to balance accommodating some U.S. demands while securing tangible gains for Seoul.

Fine-tuning the details of the recently concluded U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations—still unsettled on issues such as rice market access—will be another key task. Lee is expected to closely review the working-level talks to maximize national interests in the security alliance.