Anchor: President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first summit in Washington on Monday. The talks covered security, trade and the North Korea issue, with both leaders signaling a willingness to reengage with Pyongyang.
Our Yun Sohyang reports.

Report: In their talks at the White House, President Lee Jae Myung asked U.S. President Donald Trump to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and expressed hope that Washington will take the lead and open up a new path of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

[Sound bite: President Lee Jae Myung (Korean-English)]
“So resolving this issue through my engagement is not an easy thing. And the only person that can make progress on this issue is you, Mr. President. If you become the peacemaker, then I will assist you by being a pacemaker.”

Trump, for his part, said he would like to meet Kim later this year, adding that he continues to maintain good personal ties with the North Korean leader. 

He described North Korea as a country with “great potential” and suggested that renewed dialogue could help stabilize conditions on the peninsula.

[Sound bite: U.S. President Donald Trump (English)]
Trump: “I felt safe because I have a great relationship with Kim Jong-un. I hope it stays that way. I think it will. I have a very good relationship — I understand him. I spent a lot of free time with him talking about things that we probably aren’t supposed to talk about, and you know, I just — I get along with him really well. I think he has a country of great potential, tremendous potential.”
Reporter: (Asks if it’s possible that Trump and Kim might meet this year.)
Trump: “Well, I’m meeting a lot of people. I mean, it’s hard to say that, but I’d like to meet him this year.”

During a briefing on the summit, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the question of “strategic flexibility” regarding U.S. Forces Korea was not discussed, nor any other sensitive security issues, such as increases in defense spending, because the atmosphere was so amicable. 

While Trump also raised the possibility of the U.S. taking ownership of land it currently leases for its bases in South Korea, he declined to comment on troop levels, saying only that the allies are friends.

Beyond security issues, the two leaders agreed to expand economic cooperation, particularly in the shipbuilding sector. 

Lee highlighted South Korea’s global competitiveness in the industry, while Trump welcomed the idea of greater collaboration as his administration seeks to rebuild America’s own shipbuilding capacity.
Yun Sohyang, KBS World Radio News.