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President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung arrive in Washington, D.C., on August 24 ahead of a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung arrived at Andrews Air Force Base on August 24 (local time) to begin a three-day visit to the United States, with a bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump set as the centerpiece of his schedule.

Lee’s first engagement after arrival was a dinner meeting with Korean expatriates in Washington, underscoring the importance of diaspora ties ahead of his summit diplomacy.

The Korea-U.S. summit, scheduled for August 25 at the White House, is expected to focus on two pillars: economic cooperation and security. Of particular interest will be follow-up negotiations on last month’s tariff agreement, in which the two sides struck a landmark deal lowering reciprocal tariffs while expanding Korean investment in the U.S.

On the security front, discussions are expected to cover the strategic flexibility of U.S. Forces Korea, North Korea policy coordination, and possibly more sensitive issues such as the transfer of wartime operational control and increased Korean contributions to defense costs.

Lee will conclude his trip on August 26 with a visit to the Hanwha Philadelphia Shipyard in Pennsylvania before returning to Seoul.