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President Lee Jae-myung speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, D.C., on August 24 ahead of his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Washington on August 24 (local time) for a three-day visit that will culminate in his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, vowing to safeguard South Korea’s national interest in high-stakes talks covering tariffs, defense costs, and the role of U.S. Forces Korea.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Lee acknowledged the sensitive agenda but struck a confident tone. “We will discuss not only security, defense spending, and tariffs, but many other issues as well,” he said. “There may be different interpretations of terms such as the ‘strategic flexibility’ of U.S. forces, but negotiations are about adjusting such differences. It won’t be as confrontational as some might fear.”

Lee stressed his determination to achieve a successful outcome, declaring, “In order to protect the national interest of the Republic of Korea, far more effort is needed than in the past. Overcoming these difficulties and creating better conditions is my responsibility — and it will be done.”

The White House summit on August 25 is expected to focus on follow-up measures to last month’s tariff deal, along with broader “alliance modernization” talks that could include adjustments to U.S. troop roles, increased defense burden-sharing, and coordination on North Korea policy.

Lee signaled caution on U.S. requests for more flexible deployment of American forces in Korea, saying, “It is not easy for us to accept such demands. But discussions on future-oriented strategic modernization of U.S. Forces Korea are necessary from our perspective as well.”

Trump has recently floated the idea of Korea raising defense spending to 3.8% of GDP, while emphasizing “capability over numbers” in U.S. troop presence — a shift that could reshape the security landscape on the Korean Peninsula.

Beyond security, Lee plans to pursue economic diplomacy. After the summit, he will host a Korea-U.S. business roundtable with top executives from Samsung, Hyundai, SK, and LG, alongside their American counterparts. He is also scheduled to deliver a policy address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and attend a dinner with U.S. opinion leaders.

On August 26, Lee will travel to Philadelphia to tour the Hanwha shipyard, a symbolic centerpiece of the “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA) initiative that was central to the Korea-U.S. trade deal. A joint appearance with Trump and Korean business leaders at the site, possibly donning MASGA caps, is anticipated as a closing highlight of the visit.