President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday (local time). [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday (local time). [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit and held follow-up discussions on the construction of US military vessels by Korean shipbuilders, as Washington actively explores shipbuilding cooperation with South Korea's industry. The two sides agreed to continue working-level consultations to examine specific arrangements.

Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday that Lee met Trump on Tuesday (local time) at an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife.

The meeting came roughly three weeks after the two leaders last met at the G7 summit in Evian, France, in June.

"President Lee held follow-up consultations on the construction of military vessels, which President Trump had requested at the time," Cheong Wa Dae said. "President Lee said he would cooperate to the fullest extent possible with President Trump's request and introduced Korean companies with outstanding shipbuilding capabilities."

Lee had previously disclosed that Trump asked him at the G7 summit in June whether South Korea could rapidly build 10 US warships.

More concrete discussions on the matter are believed to have taken place at Tuesday's meeting.

The specific list of Korean companies Lee introduced to Trump was not made public. They are believed to be participants in the so-called "MARGAS Project" — a US shipbuilding cooperation initiative worth $150 billion that forms part of the $350 billion investment package in the United States announced last year.

The exchange between the two leaders comes alongside moves by the US Defense Department and the Navy to request information from South Korea's leading shipbuilders on combat vessels and replenishment ships.

The Defense Department and the Navy recently sent requests for information to domestic shipbuilders covering combat ships and replenishment vessels. An RFI is a procedure the US administration uses to gather data on pricing, delivery terms and market conditions before drawing up plans.

HD Hyundai Heavy and Hanwha Ocean submitted materials on their combat vessel design and construction capabilities, while all three major domestic shipbuilders — including Samsung Heavy Industries — responded to the replenishment ship portion of the request.

Lee also continued a conversation from the G7 summit about a planned golf outing with Trump.

The two leaders recalled the commitment they made at the time and agreed to arrange a visit by Lee to the United States at an appropriate juncture, with a golf round planned for the occasion.

Lee noted that he and Trump made golf plans twice on the sidelines of the G7 summit, saying, "I thought it was just small talk, but it seems I need to start preparing."

On the sidelines of the NATO summit, Lee also held bilateral talks with the leaders of Romania, Norway and other countries, actively promoting the strengths of South Korea's defense industry.

In a 36-minute meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Lee said, "Building on the trust Norway has consistently shown in our weapons systems, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher, I hope cooperation in advanced defense technology and the defense industry will be further strengthened." He added that he looked forward to expanding practical cooperation across a range of sectors, including renewable energy, shipbuilding and maritime industries, and defense.

Hanwha Aerospace signed a full-package supply contract with Norway earlier this year covering the Chunmoo system and guided missiles, worth $922 million.

Lee also held his first summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since taking office and pledged South Korea's commitment to Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction.

Lee introduced South Korea's comprehensive support pledge of $100 million for peace and reconstruction in Ukraine.

Lee and Zelensky also agreed to resolve the issue of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles, respecting the free will of all parties involved.


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