By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo

The South Korea-U.S. summit will be held on August 25. The Presidential Office announced on Aug. 12, "President Lee Jae-myung will visit the U.S. from Aug. 24 to 26 at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump for the summit."

If the summit is held on Aug. 25, President Lee will meet President Trump for the first time in 82 days since taking office. President Lee plans to hold a summit with President Trump and a working lunch.

When asked whether President Lee's visit to the U.S. constitutes a state visit, the Presidential Office spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated, "It can be considered an official working-level visit," adding, "It will be a visit focused on engaging in substantial, in-depth discussions."

Spokesperson Kang stated in a briefing that day, "This meeting marks the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of South Korea and the United States. The two leaders will discuss ways to develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance in response to evolving international security and economic conditions."

She added, "While strengthening the robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, they will also discuss peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula."

Spokesperson Kang continued, "Building on the recently concluded tariff negotiations, the two leaders are expected to discuss strengthening economic cooperation in the semiconductor, battery, and shipbuilding industries, as well as partnerships in advanced technology and key minerals."

President Lee will depart on Aug. 24 and return home on Aug. 26 (local time). The presidential office announced that First Lady Kim Hye-kyung will accompany him on his visit.

President Trump announced the tariff agreement on July 31 and said that President Lee Jae-myung would visit the White House within two weeks. However, this was postponed due to scheduling conflicts between the two sides.

The Presidential Office stated, "While we are willing to accompany the economic delegation, there have been no concrete or working-level discussions yet, so it's not yet time to make an announcement."

There was speculation that a summit between President Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba could be held around the time of the South Korea-U.S. summit. However, the Presidential Office stated that no schedule for the summit has been finalized.