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President Lee Jae-myung (center) speaks during a business roundtable on his upcoming U.S. and Japan trip at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Aug. 19. Also pictured are Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon (left), Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Doosan Vice Chairman Park Ji-won. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung will embark on a six-day overseas trip to Japan and the United States starting Aug. 23, with back-to-back summits scheduled with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to the presidential office, Lee, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, will leave for Tokyo on Aug. 23 for talks with Ishiba aimed at restoring “shuttle diplomacy” and exploring future-oriented cooperation. He will then fly to Washington on Aug. 24 for his first face-to-face meeting with Trump at the White House on Aug. 25. Lee is expected to present a vision for “modernizing the alliance” during the summit.

A symbolic highlight of the trip will take place the following day, Aug. 26, when Lee and Trump are expected to visit the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia together. The shipyard, acquired by South Korea’s Hanwha Group, has become a centerpiece of the so-called “MASGA” (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) initiative, which played a pivotal role in recent U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations.

Observers note that the sight of the two leaders touring the shipyard alongside Korean business leaders — possibly donning “MASGA caps” — would underscore the strengthening of economic ties. The Korean delegation includes major industry figures such as Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan and HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, reflecting Seoul’s intent to elevate the MASGA project into a symbol of the U.S.-Korea economic alliance.

Before departing for Washington, Lee will meet Japanese lawmakers on Aug. 24. Upon arrival in the U.S. later that day, he will attend a dinner with Korean expatriates, followed by summit talks with Trump and networking events with U.S. academic and business leaders.

At a senior aides’ meeting earlier Thursday, Lee said, “During my visits to the U.S. and Japan, there are many pressing issues to address amid the reshaping of the international order and trade system. The situation is difficult, but with trust in our people and by putting national interests first, I will do my utmost to realize a policy of reciprocal diplomacy and security.”