President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit call with US President Donald Trump on the evening of the 6th and agreed to work closely together for the development of the ROK-US alliance, according to a written briefing by spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.The two leaders also agreed to work toward reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement on tariff negotiations between the two countries as soon as possible, and to encourage tangible results in working-level negotiations.

The phone call between the two leaders took place at 10 p.m. and lasted approximately 20 minutes. President Trump first congratulated President Lee on his election victory.President Lee expressed his gratitude for President Trump's congratulations and mentioned the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance, which is the foundation of South Korean diplomacy. President Trump invited President Lee to visit the U.S., and President Lee responded that he hoped the ROK and the U.S. would meet frequently as special allies to hold consultations.

The two leaders agreed to meet as soon as possible, through multilateral meetings or bilateral visits, to hold more in-depth consultations on the development of the ROK-U.S. alliance.Spokesperson Kang said that the conversation took place in a friendly and informal atmosphere, and that the two leaders shared various episodes and experiences from the presidential election process.

In particular, they exchanged views on the assassination threats and political difficulties they had faced, and agreed that overcoming such difficulties leads to strong leadership. Meanwhile, the two leaders introduced their golf skills and agreed to play a round of golf for the alliance when possible.President Lee mentioned the anecdote of receiving a Trump hat signed by President Trump, and President Trump expressed interest, saying he looked forward to meeting President Lee soon, who has a high reputation.

Sokesperson Kang stated that the call was evaluated as an opportunity to discuss pending issues in U.S.-South Korea relations as well as to build trust and friendship at the summit level.

[News Source: Policy Briefing]