What the Lee-Trump Meeting Really Means for Korea’s Future

When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with former U.S. President Donald Trump this week, the encounter revealed much about the changing nature of international diplomacy: personal bonds and strategic flattery can sometimes outweigh meaningful political discussion.

The meeting began with uncertainty after Trump posted on Truth Social questioning events in South Korea, appearing to echo far-right conspiracies about President Lee’s administration. Yet Trump only briefly raised the issue, merely brushing it off as a misunderstanding. Throughout the meeting, Lee seemed to employ a specific strategy to maintain a cordial conversation: rather than discuss critical topics directly, Lee employed a strategy of deliberate charm. He complimented the Oval Office, praised Trump’s relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and even humorously suggested building a Trump Tower in North Korea.

The approach of endless flattery proved effective. The conversation remained friendly, and Lee avoided the kind of tension that had characterized some of Trump’s past meetings with world leaders such as the discordant atmosphere that had surrounded his meeting with Ukrainian president Zelensky.

However, it was clear that President Lee's overreliance on style overshadowed substance. Critical issues such as trade agreements, defence costs, and the long-term status of U.S. troops in South Korea were largely left unaddressed. Whether by meaningful intention or strategic avoidance, both leaders seemed content to let officials handle the finer, and often unresolved, details behind closed doors. Trump did reference a trade deal being “done,” in a post meeting interview and repeated his interest in having the U.S. take ownership of joint military installations like Osan Air Base, a proposal that would mark a significant shift in the countries’ security partnership.

Perhaps most strikingly, the dialogue centered heavily on Trump’s relationship with Kim Jong Un, a dynamic that is emphasized by Trump but has yet to yield substantial progress towards denuclearization or regional stability.

In the end, President Lee secured a courteous meeting, signalling a healthy relationship between the two allied nations. But beneath the heavily coated flattery, whether the encounter yielded "enough" progress for South Korea can be questioned. President Lee managed to largely avoid contentious topics and prevent discordance , yet it remains unclear how much was gained beyond a display of goodwill and arguably superficial friendliness.