In 12-Minute Call, Yoon Praises Trump, Eyes New U.S.-Korea Partnership

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a phone call on Thursday.

National Security Advisor Kim Tae Hyo reported that Yoon and Trump spoke for approximately 12 minutes, beginning at 7:59 AM. They agreed to hold a summit once a date and location can be established.

Yoon offered his sincere congratulations to Trump, “I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your resounding victory with the ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan. I wish you the best in leading a great America.”

According to Kim, Trump expressed his gratitude and extended his regards to the Korean people.

The two leaders discussed the trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, the U.S.-South Korea alliance and the situation in Ukraine involving North Korea’s deployment. They agreed on building shared leadership in the Indo-Pacific region, on the Korean Peninsula, and globally.

Yoon praised former Trump for his contributions during his first term, which helped strengthen cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan and enabled the establishment of the trilateral framework at Camp David. He also desired to maintain a close partnership between South Korea and the U.S., encompassing security and economic sectors.

Trump expressed his intention to maintain a strong partnership between the U.S. and South Korea, noting that he has heard positive feedback about Yoon’s leadership. He also highlighted the importance of South Korea’s expertise in the U.S. shipbuilding industry, emphasizing the need for close collaboration in areas such as ship exports, repairs, and maintenance while leveraging South Korea’s world-class shipbuilding capabilities.

The leaders assessed North Korea’s military activities concerning its involvement in Ukraine. They also discussed intelligence on North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities, ICBM launches, balloon drops, and GPS disruptions in the Yellow Sea.

Both sides agreed that a face-to-face meeting to discuss these issues in detail was necessary and decided to set a date and location for a summit between Yoon and Trump in the near future.