한미정상, 첫 통화…"양국 만족할 조속한 관세 합의 노력키로"Lee, Trump begin to forge rapport ahead o

[정승남세기영어교육연구회장]

한미정상, 첫 통화…"양국 만족할 조속한 관세 합의 노력키로"

(News Focus) Lee, Trump begin to forge rapport ahead of tough alliance tasks

약 20분간 통화…"관세 실무협상서 가시적 성과 나오도록 독려"

"트럼프, 李대통령 방미 초청…양정상, 다자·양자계기 이른시일 내 만나기로"

李 "특별한 동맹으로서 자주 만나 협의하길"…두 정상 긴밀 협력 의견모아

Song Sang-ho Diplomacy 01:05 June 07, 2025 Yonhap News

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 4th para)
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By Song Sang-ho
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WASHINGTON, June 6 (Yonhap) -- New South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off an effort to build rapport through a phone call Friday, as the bilateral relationship faces an array of tricky issues, including trade negotiations, security burden-sharing, and coordination on North Korea and China.
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Lee held his first phone conversation with Trump since taking office on Wednesday following this week's election that was set up due to the April ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol after his short-lived martial law imposition in December.
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During the talks, Trump congratulated Lee on his election, while Lee pointed out the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, according to Lee's office, which cast the call as "friendly." The two sides converged on the need to work closely together for the development of the alliance.
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Signs of a budding friendship were detected when the two leaders discussed their experiences with assassination threats on the campaign trail and their shared interest in golf, as Lee appeared to be trying to find common themes that could further bind the allies closely together.
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This combined AP-Yonhap file photo shows South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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The call came amid expectations that the two leaders might have an opportunity to meet in person on the margins of the Group of Seven summit set to take place in Canada from June 15-17 or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit slated to be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from June 24-25.
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Lee's avowed position to prioritize the South Korea-U.S. alliance as the "foundation" of his "pragmatic" foreign policy has raised cautious optimism for the future trajectory of bilateral ties, but his willingness to "stably" manage ties with China appears to have been keenly watched by the Trump administration.
Shortly after Lee's election, a White House official expressed concerns over "Chinese interference and influence" in democracies around the world -- a remark that observers said suggested the Trump administration's desire to see the Lee administration keep a distance from Beijing.
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Lee's inauguration came amid rising tensions between the two superpowers over trade, technological leadership and security, to name a few.
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Finding an optimal policy approach toward China that does not strain ties with the United States would be a tough challenge for Lee, when the Trump administration wants its Indo-Pacific allies and partners to coalesce around its efforts to deter Chinese aggression.
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For Lee, the most pressing task at hand is to reach a wide-ranging deal with Washington over U.S. tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and economic and industrial cooperation before July 8, when Trump's 90-day suspension of "reciprocal" tariffs ends.
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Lee and Trump agreed to make efforts to ensure that the two sides will swiftly reach a deal that can be "satisfactory to both sides," according to Lee's office. "Toward that end, (the presidents) agreed to work to encourage a tangible outcome from working-level negotiations," it said.
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In April, the Trump administration announced 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on South Korea, putting the Asian ally on the list of the "worst offenders." Reciprocal tariffs took effect on April 9, but Trump placed the three-month pause shortly afterward to allow for negotiations.
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Korea under Lee's leadership is now charged with avoiding or minimizing the impact of not only the reciprocal tariffs but also various sectoral tariffs, including 50 percent levies on imported steel and aluminum.
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Trump's drive for an increase in allies' defense spending is also expected to figure prominently in the Lee administration's engagement with Washington.
Trump has said that South Korea has not sufficiently "reimbursed" America for its "big-time" protection of the Asian ally, a narrative that reinforced speculation that he might call for a rise in Seoul's share of the cost for stationing the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
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Another brewing issue for the allies is the possibility of a USFK troop drawdown, a topic that resurfaced following a recent Wall Street Journal report that the Pentagon is considering withdrawing about 4,500 troops of the 28,500-strong USFK, and moving them to Guam and other locations.
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Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell has dismissed the report as "not true," but a senior U.S. official pointed out the need last week to "calibrate" U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula to deter China, leaving open the possibility of an adjustment to the USFK troop level.
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Another key task for the alliance is policy coordination over North Korea diplomacy at a time when Pyongyang appears to have little appetite for engagement with either Washington or Seoul amid its deepening alignment with Moscow.
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Trump has repeatedly expressed his openness to resuming dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while Lee has voiced hope for renewed cross-border engagement, tension reduction and trust-building with Pyongyang.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
​
(END)

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한미정상, 첫 통화…"양국 만족할 조속한 관세 합의 노력키로"(종합)

송고2025-06-07 00:01 임형섭기자 설승은기자 연합뉴스

약 20분간 통화…"관세 실무협상서 가시적 성과 나오도록 독려"

"트럼프, 李대통령 방미 초청…양정상, 다자·양자계기 이른시일 내 만나기로"

李 "특별한 동맹으로서 자주 만나 협의하길"…두 정상 긴밀 협력 의견모아

이재명 대통령(왼쪽)-트럼프 미국 대통령

[EPA=연합뉴스. 재판매 및 DB 금지]

(서울=연합뉴스) 임형섭 설승은 기자 = 이재명 대통령은 6일 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령과 첫 정상 통화를 했다.

이날 오후 10시부터 약 20분간 이어진 이번 통화에서는 먼저 트럼프 대통령이 이 대통령의 대선 승리를 축하하고, 이 대통령은 사의를 표한 뒤 대한민국 외교의 근간인 한미동맹의 중요성을 언급했다고 강유정 대통령실 대변인이 서면브리핑에서 밝혔다.

강 대변인은 "두 대통령은 서로의 리더십에 대해 높이 평가하고, 앞으로 한미동맹의 발전을 위해 긴밀히 협력해 나가기로 의견을 모았다"고 전했다.

강 대변인은 특히 "두 대통령은 한미 간 관세 협의와 관련, 양국이 모두 만족할 수 있는 합의가 조속히 이뤄질 수 있도록 노력해 나가기로 했다"며 "이를 위해 실무협상에서 가시적 성과가 나오도록 독려해나가기로 했다"고 설명했다.

아울러 트럼프 대통령은 이 대통령에게 방미 초청을 했으며 이 대통령은 "한미가 특별한 동맹으로서 자주 만나 협의하기를 바란다"는 취지의 화답을 했다고 강 대변인은 밝혔다.

강 대변인은 그러면서 "두 대통령은 한미동맹 발전을 위한 보다 심도 있는 협의를 위해 다자회의 또는 양자 방문 계기 등 가급적 이른 시일 안에 만나기로 했다"고 말했다.

트럼프 대통령과 전화 통화 갖는 이재명 대통령

(서울=연합뉴스) 홍해인 기자 = 이재명 대통령이 6일 서울 한남동 관저에서 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령과 전화 통화를 하기 위해 수화기를 들고 있다. 2025.6.6 hihong@yna.co.kr

이날 한미 정상의 통화는 이 대통령이 취임한 지 사흘째에 이뤄졌다.

앞서 문재인 전 대통령은 취임 당일이던 2017년 5월 10일 당시 집권 1기였던 트럼프 대통령과 통화했다.

박근혜 전 대통령은 당선 이튿날 버락 오바마 전 대통령과, 윤석열 전 대통령은 당선 당일 조 바이든 전 대통령과 각각 통화했다.

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