South Korea’s Lee Visits U.S. After Trump Slams Seoul’s Investigations

South Korea’s newly elected President Lee Jae Myung arrived at the White House on Monday for his first high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, just hours after Trump publicly criticized Seoul over ongoing legal investigations tied to Lee’s predecessor setting a tense tone for the meeting.

The summit, seen as a critical opportunity to reaffirm the decades-old U.S.-South Korea alliance, has been overshadowed by sharp comments from Trump, who questioned South Korea’s handling of investigations into former president Yoon Suk Yeol, now on trial for allegedly inciting an insurrection. Trump’s remarks appeared to echo rhetoric from Korea’s far-right groups, particularly evangelical supporters of Yoon, who claim without evidence that the June election that brought Lee to power was manipulated.

“I’ve heard troubling reports of investigations targeting churches and a military base,” Trump told reporters before the meeting. “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ll be finding out.”

The remarks rattled diplomats ahead of complex negotiations on trade, defense spending, and nuclear cooperation. President Lee, who took office after a snap election following Yoon’s impeachment, arrived in Washington on Sunday with a clear objective: to build rapport with Trump, manage political landmines, and secure concrete progress on economic and security issues.

South Korea’s economy is deeply intertwined with the United States, not just in trade but also in security. More than 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the country as part of a long-standing military alliance. Trump, however, has repeatedly demanded that Seoul pay more for that protection — a point expected to dominate their discussions.

Lee’s administration has been trying to navigate a careful path — maintaining a strong alliance with Washington while also improving strained relations with China, South Korea’s largest trading partner. Just days before departing for the U.S., Lee dispatched a special envoy to Beijing to deliver a message of reconciliation.

Tensions were further stirred earlier this month when South Korean police raided Sarang Jeil Church, led by far-right pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, an outspoken Yoon supporter. The raid was part of an investigation into pro-Yoon activists who stormed a court building after Yoon’s detention was extended in January. Prosecutors also searched a South Korean section of a joint U.S.-Korean military base in July, which triggered backlash from Trump-aligned conservatives. Seoul insists that no U.S. materials or personnel were involved in the search and called accusations of overreach “false claims.”

“Trump has nicely illustrated how unreliable and capricious he is for allies,” said Mason Richey, professor at Seoul’s Hankuk University, referring to the president’s unpredictable approach to foreign policy.

Behind the political drama, urgent matters of diplomacy remain. South Korean negotiators are working to finalize details of a $350 billion investment package in the U.S.; part of a broader trade arrangement that helped Seoul avoid steep new American tariffs last month. President Lee is also scheduled to visit a Philadelphia shipyard owned by South Korea’s Hanwha Group, showcasing a key element of economic cooperation to revive the ailing U.S. shipbuilding industry.

On defense, Trump is expected to push for increased South Korean spending potentially billions more to support American troops on the peninsula. Lee’s national security adviser, Wi Sung lac, confirmed that discussions are ongoing, including a potential purchase of U.S. weapons systems.

However, Lee has drawn a red line on one controversial issue: allowing more “flexibility” in how U.S. forces in Korea are deployed, which could potentially involve them in operations aimed at countering China. “That’s going to be a very difficult sell in Seoul,” Lee told reporters en route to Washington.

Trump and Lee are also expected to discuss North Korea. Both leaders have expressed support for re-engaging Kim Jong Un’s regime, with Lee backing a phased denuclearization plan. But Pyongyang remains defiant. Over the weekend, Kim supervised the test-firing of new air defense systems and declared that the U.S. and South Korea remain enemies.