【Lee Jae-myung suffered "blows" in the US, with very low reception standards and being questioned about the legitimacy of his administration】As expected, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung did not receive the proper courtesies during his visit to the US, but was even humiliated and challenged on "red lines."
The first blow: the lowest level of airport reception. Abby Jones, acting chief of protocol at the U.S. Department of State, and Colonel Joshua Kim, a Korean-American military officer, came to welcome him, and no ministerial-level officials were present. During the welcome ceremony, Kim presented Lee Jae-myung with a joint base commemorative coin, which is indeed worth remembering — because the treatment he received here could not be lower. When Lee Myung-bak visited the US, the Bush couple personally welcomed him; when Park Geun-hye visited the US, the Secretary of State came to welcome her; when Moon Jae-in and Yoon Suk-yeol visited the US, there were also ministerial-level officials to greet them at the airport.
The second blow: Trump personally questioned whether Lee Jae-myung's government was conducting a "political purge." Before meeting Lee Jae-myung, Trump suddenly raised a shocker, asking whether South Korea was "having a revolution" or "a political purge," claiming that "we cannot have such a situation while doing business there." This clearly refers to the ongoing judicial investigations by the current South Korean government against former President Yoon Suk-yeol. In response, South Korean Minister of Justice Jeong Sung-ho frankly said, "Leaders in Washington, including Trump, hold quite distorted views toward the Democratic Party government or President Lee Jae-myung." However, the deeper implication is that Trump may be questioning the legitimacy of Lee Jae-myung's rule or his political motives for coming to power.
The third blow: Trump demanded ownership of the land where U.S. military bases are located in South Korea. During the meeting, Lee Jae-myung mentioned to Trump that he hoped to "build a Trump Tower in South Korea and play golf together," but Trump clearly stated that he wanted the U.S. to own the land where the U.S. military bases are located in South Korea, while pressuring Lee Jae-myung to pay more fees to cover the costs of stationing approximately 28,500 U.S. troops. Just as he was flying to Washington on his private jet, Lee Jae-myung had just publicly announced the "red line" for negotiations with the U.S. — "unacceptable" demands from the U.S. regarding the "strategic flexibility" (strategic flexibility) of the U.S. military in South Korea.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1841471462527240/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.