President Lee Jae Myung (left) on Aug. 25 poses for photos with U.S. President Donald Trump after their bilateral summit at the White House in Washington. (Office of the President)

By Charles Audouin

President Lee Jae Myung calls his recent summit with U.S. President Donald Trump "a meaningful opportunity to achieve major progress in the Korean Peninsula peace process through modernizing the bilateral alliance and resolving North Korea's nuclear issue."

"In our bilateral summit, we shared our experiences with political terrorism and formed a close bond of empathy," President Lee on Aug. 26 said on his official Facebook account. "We also had an in-depth discussion on North Korea's threat."

Turning to a bilateral business roundtable held right after the summit, he said, "I emphasized that based on world-leading manufacturing technology, the Republic of Korea is the optimal partner to lead a Renaissance in American manufacturing."

"I also proposed building stable supply chains through cooperation in sectors like shipbuilding, nuclear power, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and bio," he added. "I conveyed that collaboration among companies of both countries is crucial for opening a new golden age in the bilateral alliance, and that the government will actively support this."

"While visiting the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, I shared my vision for a new government based on the basic values of the bilateral alliance: freedom and democracy," President Lee said. "Through trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S. and Japan, I stressed a joint response to North Korea's nuclear threat for peace and prosperity not just in Northeast Asia but the entire world."

"Based on a 'pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests' and equipped with a flexible mindset and strategic judgment, I will nimbly respond to the changing times." 

caudouin@korea.kr