White House officially announces plan for summit, luncheon between Lee, Trump

Washington, Aug 25 (IANS) The White House announced a plan for President Donald Trump to have summit talks and a luncheon with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung this week, as Lee arrived in Washington for the high-stakes meeting.

Trump plans to greet Lee at the White House at noon on Monday (Washington time) and start a bilateral meeting at the Oval Office 15 minutes later before joining a bilateral lunch at the Cabinet Room at 12:45 p.m., according to the White House.

The White House had not made a public announcement on the detailed summit plan, though it confirmed earlier that there will be a meeting between the two leaders, Yonhap news agency reported.

Lee and Trump are expected to discuss security, trade and other key issues at a time when the Trump administration is pushing to "modernize" the alliance in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Earlier on Sunday, Lee said that a demand by Washington on strategic flexibility of the US forces stationed in South Korea is difficult to agree with, but noted that discussions about the future role of US Forces Korea (USFK) are necessary.

Speaking to reporters aboard his flight from Tokyo to Washington before his pivotal summit with US President Donald Trump on Monday, Lee said he plans to discuss a wide range of issues, with security, defense cost-sharing and tariff negotiations expected to top the agenda.

Among the sensitive issues is the role of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea. Washington has sought more flexibility in their mission as part of its broader strategy to counter China.

--IANS

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