The President of South Korea said his staff were desperate to avoid what they referred to as a ‘Zelensky moment’ on Monday when he met Donald Trump for the first time.
President Lee Jae Myung revealed Monday night that he prepared for the White House showdown by reading Trump’s The Art of the Deal and as a result the meeting went ‘beyond my expectations.’
The South Korean leader was put on the spot before he even entered The White House when Trump asked on Truth Social whether his country was facing ‘a purge or a revolution.’
Lee initially feared a public argument akin to Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s spat earlier this year that led the Ukrainian president to leave the White House early.
But Lee told the Center for Strategic and International Studies that he had come prepared to avoid such a blowup.
‘That’s because I had read President Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal,’ he said.
Lee said the meeting, which went past its allotted time, instead turned into a discussion of how the two nations ‘modernize our bilateral alliance to be more reciprocal and future-oriented in line with the changing security landscape,’ Politico reported.
The South Korean president began his remarks by flattering Trump, beginning by praising his redecoration of the Oval Office, describing it as ‘bright and beautiful’ and also hailing recent record highs of the stock market.
The two leaders spoke at length about the diplomatic relations between both countries, but after reporters asked Trump about his earlier claims that there was violence against churches in South Korea, the mood turned awkward.
The President of South Korea said his staff were desperate to avoid what they referred to as a ‘ Zelensky moment’ when he met Donald Trump for the first time, Monday
Trump had asked concerning questions about what was going on in the country, suggesting it was either facing ‘a purge or a revolution’ before he received Lee Jae Myung in the White House
‘What is going on in South Korea?’ Trump asked on social media on Monday morning immediately before their meeting.
‘Seems like a purge or revolution. We can’t have that and do business there,’ he continued ominously.
Trump revealed he had heard about the violence against churches from ‘intel.’
‘I heard from [intelligence] there was a raid on churches. We are going to talk about that later. I haven’t spoken about it yet,’ Trump replied to a reporter asking him to clarify his social media post.
But he then pitched the question to the South Korean president, indicating he could respond to the claim live in the Oval Office if he wanted to.
Lee replied there was a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the political turmoil caused by the military ‘coup’ by the former president of South Korea.
He added there was a ‘fact-finding investigation’ underway.
News of a special prosecutor investigating the political opposition immediately piqued Trump’s interest as he made a comparison to his own predicament after the 2020 election.
Lee initially feared after Trump’s questions that it would resemble Trump and Zelensky tenuous, public argument in the Oval Office earlier this year that led the Ukrainian president to leave the White House early
However, President Lee said the meeting went ‘beyond my expectations’ when he spoke to a Washington think tank later Monday
‘Is his name deranged Jack Smith by any chance?’ Trump asked with a grin, referring to the special prosecutor appointed during the Biden administration to investigate him after the election. ‘He’s a deranged, sick individual.’
‘I’m only kidding,’ he added when Lee looked confused. ‘Maybe I’m not.’
Lee said the prosecutor was not under his control and denied that the government was involved with intercepting information surrounding American bases in the country.
Trump tried to patch over the awkwardness, indicating they would discuss the situation behind closed doors.
‘That’s okay, we’ll go over it, I am sure it was a misunderstanding, but there was a rumor going around about churches, raiding churches,’ Trump continued.
This is the first time the two leaders have met in person as Lee was elected in June.
Trump and Lee spoke briefly on the phone since South Korea’s election to discuss trade negotiations and their ongoing diplomatic relationship.
Trump expressed interest in South Korea’s proposal to invest into shipbuilding operations in the United States and negotiating ongoing trade deals.
Trump expressed interest in South Korea’s proposal to invest into shipbuilding operations in the United States and negotiating ongoing trade deals
But Trump appeared more focused on his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, recalling his efforts to negotiate peace between the two nations
Earlier in the day, the president said he had heard about ‘vicious raids on churches’ by the government, and ‘even went into our military base and got information.’
‘They probably shouldn’t have done that, but I hear bad things,’ Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, even as he admitted he did not know whether the information he received was ‘true or not.’
But Trump appeared more focused on his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, recalling his efforts to negotiate peace between the two nations.
‘I would like to have a meeting. I get along great with him,’ Trump said.
He indicated he may travel to South Korea soon for a trade meeting and could theoretically meet with Kim at the same time.
When asked by a reporter if he would work to set up a meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea, Trump replied. ‘You mean set them up together? That would be interesting,’ as the people in the room chuckled.
‘That’s a very tough question, I don’t know where that question is leading,’ Trump added with a grin.
