South Korean President Lee Jae Myung requested the help of U.S President Donald Trump to resolve issues related to North Korea’s nuclear programme at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, according to Lee’s office.
The President’s office released a statetement saying that Lee asked Trump to “take the lead in the peaceful resolution of the North Korean issue, just as he resolved the Middle East war.”
Lee and Trump shared a brief exchange during a group photo session at the summit.
Trump had posted a photo of himself and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un walking together during their 2018 summit in Singapore on his social media account a few days before the G7 event. South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the post appeared to reflect Trump’s intention to focus on North Korea when the Iran war concluded and called it a positive sign.
Trump had held talks with Kim thrice during his first presidency but the efforts did not result in convincing him to abandon North Korea’s nuclear programme.
Kim has also strengthened his country’s ties with Russia over the recent years, sending troops and weapons to support Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine. Meanwhile, it has continued to shun South Korea’s attempts to improve relations.
Lee meets Carney and Modi
The South Korean President had a discussion with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the summit and said Seoul was ready to help Ottawa boost its defense capabilities. South Korea’s Hanwha is currently competing against Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems for a major Canadian submarine contract.
Lee also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines and discussed measures to strengthen collaboration in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green energy, and defence manufacturing. They also conversed on ways to improve suppy chains and boost innovation driven partnerships. As one of India’s major economic partners in East Asia, bilateral trade between Seoul and New Delhi exceeds $23 billion annually.
