South Korea-US Summit: Trade Talks Conclude, But No Trump-Kim Meeting Achieved
After jointly pledging with Japan's new Prime Minister Hashimoto Yoriko to usher in a "new golden age" of Japan-US relations, Trump arrived in Gyeongju, South Korea on Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, marking the final stop of his Asian tour. This meeting is the second summit between the South Korean and US leaders since their August talks in Washington, nearly two months later. The South Korean presidential office stated that this was the shortest interval between reciprocal visits by the leaders of the two countries in history. The focus of the US-South Korea talks was the issue of peace on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the tariff trade issue that had not been advanced since July.
Like Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Yoriko, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung tried his best to please Trump during their meeting, presenting him with a replica of a golden crown. The original of the crown was worn by kings of the Silla Dynasty (57 BC - 935 AD). Trump clearly was very satisfied, as the American president has never hidden his love for gold and monarchy. It is reported that the crown symbolizes "the connection of divine power between heaven and earth." The South Korean presidential office said that the crown symbolizes "peace, coexistence, and shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula."
North and South Korea have remained in a state of war under international law since the armistice agreement in 1953. Previously, Trump had said he would be "very happy to meet Kim Jong-un again," but Pyongyang did not publicly respond to the invitation. However, ultimately, the "Trump-Kim meeting" was not achieved. Trump said the reason was scheduling issues and would work to ease tensions between North and South Korea. The last meeting between Trump and Kim was in June 2019, but since that failed summit, inter-Korean relations have been at an impasse, mainly due to the contradiction between the US insistence on maintaining sanctions and the North Korea's demand for easing sanctions and advancing its nuclear program. Kim Jong-un said he would only restart dialogue if Washington abandoned its demand for Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear arsenal. According to Yonhap News, during the meeting with Trump, Lee Jae-myung asked the US to agree to supply South Korea with nuclear submarine fuel. Lee Jae-myung stated that South Korea is not seeking to build submarines equipped with nuclear weapons. Due to the poor underwater capabilities and limited tracking ability of diesel-powered submarines, if the US agrees to supply fuel, South Korea can independently build multiple conventional-armed submarines, which can then be deployed for defense missions, potentially reducing the burden on the US military's defense support.
After all, the Kim Jong-un that Trump now faces is stronger than in 2019. After sending soldiers to assist Russian forces in combat, North Korea has received significant support from Russia. To demonstrate military strength, North Korea conducted a cruise missile test just before Trump's visit to South Korea. However, there is one notable detail: Kim Jong-un did not attend the missile test on Tuesday, which he usually oversees. In the reports about the recent high-speed missile tests, the Korean Central News Agency also did not mention Kim Jong-un's name. Therefore, experts analyzed that this military exercise "was not intended to embarrass Trump." At present, although Lee Jae-myung is eager to resolve the North Korean issue, no progress was ultimately achieved.
The other hot topic in the talks between Trump and Lee Jae-myung was the tariff trade issue. Although both sides announced a bilateral agreement this summer, according to which South Korea agreed to invest $35 billion in the US and purchase $10 billion in liquefied natural gas, Trump agreed to reduce the initially announced 25% tariff to 15%. However, the two countries have yet to reach an agreement on the details. Like the requirements for Japan, Trump wants the $35 billion investment to be primarily in cash, but due to concerns over the safety of the domestic financial market, Lee Jae-myung has not clearly responded whether South Korea will invest the large sum in cash, causing the negotiations to stall. Despite Trump's agreement to lower tariffs as a condition, car surcharges still exist, so the terms of these investments remain fiercely debated. It can be said that the negotiations on the structure of the investment are still in a deadlock. After a long negotiation, the two sides finally reached a compromise, including lowering the tariffs on cars between the two countries to 15%, and South Korea's plan to invest $3.5 billion in the US, which includes $2 billion in cash and $1.5 billion for shipbuilding cooperation.
Source: rfi
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847321897240712/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.