[SUMMIT] Lee, Trump emphasize alliance despite strains over US base ownership

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump underscored the strength of the U.S.-South Korea alliance during their first summit on Monday, even as the U.S. leader sparked controversy by suggesting that the United States should pursue ownership of the land on which its military bases in South Korea are situated. The nearly two-hour talks covered a range of topics, including trade, defense, and North Korea. Yet Trump’s proposal to seek control over the base lands quickly raised questions about the future framework of the alliance. When asked whether he would consider reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, Trump declined to provide a direct answer. “Well, I don’t want to say that now, because we’ve been friends and we’re friends,” he told reporters. He then moved on to the issue of bases, adding, “They would say, but we gave you land. I said, no, you didn’t. You lease us land. There’s a big difference between giving and leasing. Maybe one of the things I’d like to do is ask them to give us ownership of the land where we have the big forWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times