President Lee meets Trump in Turkey, discusses military ship construction and golf

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, continuing discussions on military vessel construction.

During a welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Lee and Trump reconvened just three weeks after their meeting at the G7 summit in Evian. According to Kang Yu-jeong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Relations, President Lee expressed South Korea's willingness to cooperate on Trump's request for military vessel construction. Lee highlighted the advanced manufacturing capabilities of South Korean companies.

The two leaders agreed to hold follow-up working-level discussions to explore specific proposals for the vessel construction project. This follows Trump's initial request during the G7 summit.

Additionally, Lee and Trump revisited their earlier agreement to play golf together. They confirmed plans to pursue President Lee's visit to the U.S. at an appropriate time, with a golf meeting being a key part of the agenda. President Lee had previously mentioned Trump's invitation for a golf game during the G7 summit, humorously noting on social media that he might need to prepare for it.