South Korea feared "Zelenskyy moment" in Trump meeting

Reuters and Politico reported the information.

Before his first meeting with the U.S. President, Lee said that his team was "worried that we might face a ‘Zelenskyy moment.’" This came after Trump published a post on TruthSocial regarding South Korean democracy.

“WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!” he wrote.

However, after the event, the South Korean leader stated that it turned out "beyond my expectations." According to Lee, he and Trump discussed strengthening economic ties between Seoul and Washington, as well as how to "modernize our bilateral alliance to be more reciprocal and future-oriented in line with the changing security landscape."

At the same time, Lee Jae-myung expressed confidence that he would not face a situation similar to the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump in the Oval Office in February.

"That’s because I had read President Trump’s book, 'The Art of the Deal,'" Lee explained.

• On July 7, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the introduction of 25% tariffs on goods from Japan and South Korea starting August 1.