President Lee presided over the first NSC meeting since taking office, a test of US-Korea ”package deal” diplomacy

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is struggling to formulate a trade strategy for the United States, with only three weeks until the teaser date for the imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the United States.
On the 10th, the presidential office announced, "President Lee presided over a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) following a meeting of his chief of staff and aides."
The NSC plenary meeting is the highest level foreign policy and security forum, chaired directly by the president. In addition to the regular operational reports, the meeting reportedly included in-depth discussions on trade and security cooperation strategies between the US and South Korea.
In particular, as the U.S. side has been increasing trade pressure, including the imposition of high tariffs, President Lee received a report on the negotiations from National Security Advisor Wi Song-rak immediately after his visit to the U.S. and decided to respond with a "two-track approach."
With the specific date for the US-ROK summit yet to be finalized, the US is expected to begin formulating a "negotiation package" to hold a summit while maintaining behind-the-scenes contact.
In a briefing the previous day after returning to the country, Director Wei said, "We proposed to consider trade, investment, purchasing, and security as a single package and hold discussions on it.
"We need to approach this while considering the end state of the alliance," he said. A diplomatic source said, "This is a sign that the South Korean side should move away from responding to the single-party alliance and instead seek comprehensive negotiations."
The Alaska LNG pipeline project is seen as a key card that the US is seeking from Korea in the trade sector.
The list of topics covered includes Japan's participation in the ASEAN-Japan Strategic Strategy for the Future, the purchase of large amounts of American LNG, and the expansion of cooperation in the shipbuilding industry. These are also in line with the strategic interests of the United States, which is trying to contain China's growing maritime influence.
In the investment field, the analysis states that Korea is the largest overseas investor in the United States, and that a mutually complementary structure is being developed to strengthen cooperation in cutting-edge industries such as semiconductors and batteries.
The focus of the negotiations is clearly shifting to security. With President Trump once again bringing up the issue of US military spending in the run-up to the presidential election, the US-South Korea defense cost division is expected to be emphasized.
It cannot be ruled out that the issue of the size and redeployment of US troops in South Korea, as well as the demand for an increase in the contribution, may come up on the negotiating table. The US's request for its allies to increase their defense spending is also expected to be a variable.
In connection with this, Chairman Dan Kei-in of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking active-duty US military officer, visited Korea on the same day and met with Chairman Kim Myoung-soo of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
This will be the first visit to South Korea by a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1 year and 8 months since Chairman Charles Brown's visit in November 2023, and the first under the Lee Jae-myung administration.
During the meeting, the assessment of the regional security environment, including the North Korean military's movements, and measures to strengthen the US-ROK alliance were discussed.
- Discussions were also held on Russian military cooperation and the growing instability in the region due to China's expanding maritime presence. However, the two sides agreed that the US military's strategic flexibility and troop reductions in South Korea and increased defense spending by allies were important.
However, during his confirmation hearing in April this year, when he was still a candidate, Chairman KEI said, "If confirmed, I will evaluate the size of the U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea and Japan and decide on the Secretary of Defense and
The possibility of adjusting the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and Japan is expected to be discussed at the Tri-CHOD meeting on the 11th.
There is growing interest in whether this can be done.