UPDATE - South Korea’s Lee departs to Washington for first summit with Trump

Tariffs, investments, defense spending as well as cost of hosting American forces expected to be on agenda- Lee Jae Myung flies to Washington from Japan where he held meeting with Premier Shigeru Ishiba

UPDATES WITH SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT DEPARTING FOR US; CHANGES IN HEADLINE, DECK, LEE

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday departed for Washington for his first face-to-face summit with US President Donald Trump, concluding his two-day visit to Japan, Yonhap news reported.

In Tokyo, Lee met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday, whose approval rating rose to 35.4% on Sunday, according to a poll by Kyodo News. The two leaders agreed to boost cooperation on global trade and security, and strengthen trilateral ties with the US.

This marked the first time any new South Korean president has paid a maiden trip to Japan instead of continuing tradition of holding debut summit with the US president.

Lee said choosing Japan as his first summit destination highlighted its role as a "neighbor sharing the front yard" and an "indispensable partner."

During the talks in Washington, tariffs, investments, defense spending as well as cost of hosting American forces expected to be discussed between the two leaders.

The leaders are also expected to finalize details of a trade agreement made in July that cut US tariffs on South Korean goods from 25% to 15% in exchange for Seoul’s $350 billion investment pledges.

Lee will also hold a business roundtable, speak at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and visit the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia before returning to Seoul.

South Korea is one of the oldest military allies of the US in the Asia-Pacific region, hosting more than 28,500 American troops under a defense treaty.

Separately, Lee’s special envoys to China led by former National Assembly speaker Park Byeong-seug left for Beijing to deliver his personal letter to President Xi Jinping.

Before departing, Park said he would faithfully explain the Lee government’s foreign policy, rooted in "practical diplomacy."

He described the letter’s core message as strengthening the "strategic cooperative partnership" to "help the lives of the people of both countries."

The envoys are scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday and National People’s Congress chairman Zhao Leji on Tuesday.

Kaynak: