Trump meets South Korea president, touts Kim Jong-un relationship

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is with South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, “100%,” during the leaders’ high-stakes meeting just weeks after the two countries reached an 11th hour trade deal.

The bilateral touched on boosting the shipbuilding industry — with Trump saying that the U.S. will buy ships from South Korea — as well as national security and trade.

Lee, who took office in June following a snap election, began his summit with Trump by praising the appearance of the Oval Office as “bright and beautiful,” foreshadowing what would be a largely amicable first meeting between the two leaders.

Just months after Lee took office, his meeting with Trump was a pivotal foreign policy test for the newly elected president.

Trump’s praise of the new South Korean president came just hours after he painted South Korea as a nation in turmoil, saying on social media that the country appears to be experiencing a “purge” or a “revolution.”

Trump appeared to be referring to news reports showing that investigators have conducted searches at churches and the Osan Air Base as part of a probe into South Korea’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, on corruption charges.

“It didn’t sound to me like South Korea,” Trump said during the meeting.

Diplomacy loomed large over the meeting, and Lee asked for Trump’s role in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, even suggesting the creation of a Trump Tower in North Korea.

Trump touted his “great relationship” with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, and said he “looks forward to meeting with” him again.

“We can do big progress with North Korea,” Trump also said.

While Trump and the South Korean president touted their shipbuilding agreement, the meeting took place against the backdrop of questions about trade between the two nations.

The two nations reached a trade deal last month that capped tariffs on South Korea’s exports to the U.S. at 15%.

That tariff rate was lower than the 25% rate that Trump had previously threatened.

But Trump suggested Monday that he is open to holding continued conversations with South Korea, but he appeared unlikely to budge on the tariff rate.

“I hear they want to renegotiate the deal, but that’s OK, I don’t mind that,” Trump said at the beginning of the meeting.

“That doesn’t mean they’re going to get anything, but I don’t mind,” he continued.

Trump also said when he announced the deal that South Korea “will give to the United States $350 Billion Dollars for Investments owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President.”

Since then, questions have emerged over the investment pledge and how it would be structured.

This is a developing story and will be updated.