While staying on a tiny islet off Geoje Island South Gyeongsang Province, Lee is reportedly preparing for his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, which is expected to take place in Washington in the coming weeks.
According to the presidential office, he is reviewing the agenda for the summit, along with follow-up measures to a tariff deal reached last week, under which both sides agreed to lower reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent.
Jeodo, a favored summer retreat for several past presidents, has a nine-hole golf course along a sandy beach stretching 200 meters, one of the reasons Lee chose it for his summer holiday. He is reportedly likely to practice golf there in preparation for a round with Trump, as the two discussed during their first phone call shortly after Lee's inauguration on June 4.
While Trump abruptly said the bilateral summit would be held within "the next two weeks," it is expected to take place either before or after a large-scale ceremony in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, slated for Aug. 15 Liberation Day, celebrating Lee's inauguration following the previous low-key ceremony. But it is unlikely to be delayed further.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who returned from Washington last weekend, also told reporters upon his arrival that the summit will take place "within this month."
During the upcoming summit, the two leaders are expected to discuss further details of the trade deal, along with a wide range of issues including defense cost-sharing, regional security, and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
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