Lee discusses outcomes of recent US-China summit with Trump in phone call

By Lee Hugh Posted : May 18, 2026, 09:28 Updated : May 18, 2026, 09:30
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on May 17, 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, Cheong Wa Dae said on Monday.

In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the phone call, which was arranged at Seoul's request to hear about the outcomes of last week's summit in Beijing between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, lasted about 30 minutes.

Trump said he and Xi held meaningful discussions on issues related to peace on the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed their commitment to efforts toward North Korea's denuclearization, according to Kang.

"[Trump and Xi] confirmed their shared goal to denuclearize North Korea," the White House also said in a fact sheet released later.

Lee praised Trump's visit, saying that a constructive relationship between the world's two major powers would help promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.

Sunday's call came shortly after Trump returned from Beijing, where the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, but North Korea was largely sidelined as the talks focused more on tariffs, economic issues, and global supply chains disrupted by the prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Lee and Trump agreed to work toward faithfully implementing a broader bilateral security and trade agreement reached last fall.

The two leaders also expressed hope of meeting again at the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit scheduled to take place next month in Évian-les-Bains in eastern France.

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