PRESIDENT Donald Trump took to social media before meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday to threaten not to do business with Seoul because of a “Purge or Revolution” that he claimed was taking place in the country.
But any prospect of a hostile Oval Office meeting evaporated after Lee heaped praise onto the U.S. president — lauding the decor, beseeching Trump to continue to help with Korean peace efforts and even suggesting a Trump Tower in North Korea.
“We’ve known each other and gotten along very well,” Trump said, before adding, “It’s a great honor to be with you and congratulations on your election. That was a big one, and we’re with you 100%.”
The cordial display showed how world leaders are taking notes from previous meetings between Trump and heads of state, who’ve largely chosen the route of praise and adulation rather than confrontation as they seek favorable trade terms and continued military aid from Washington.
It was one of the first big foreign policy tests for Lee, who took over a country in a state of political turmoil since its former leader, Yoon Suk Yeol, was ousted from office after imposing martial law.
Lee, elected in June, began by praising one of Trump’s pet projects: presidential interior design.
“I heard that you recently redecorated the Oval Office, and I would like to say that it looks very bright and beautiful,” Lee said through an interpreter. “It has the dignity of America, and it symbolizes the new future and prosperity of America.”
He noted that the Dow Jones index has reached record highs (although Lee made sure to add the caveat that “it went down a bit”) and asked Trump, who has been on a mission to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, to reunify the two Koreas and even perhaps see the construction of a Trump Tower in North Korea accompanied by a round of golf.
Lee also agreed with Trump’s assertion that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would not have continued to enhance his nuclear capabilities the last few years had Trump remained in office.
Noting a “renaissance” that is taking place, Lee said “I believe you are the only leader who has made such accomplishments.”
The tone was a far cry from Trump’s confrontational social media post earlier Monday. He later elaborated that he was referring to raids on churches and on a U.S. military base by the new South Korean government, which they “probably shouldn’t have done.”
“I heard bad things,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday morning. “I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ll be finding out.”
Trump did not identify specific raids. But earlier this month, South Korean police conducted a raid on a church led by a conservative activist pastor who authorities allege is connected to a pro-Yoon protest in January that turned violent, according to Yonhap news agency.
A special prosecutor’s team that is investigating corruption allegations against Yoon’s wife , former first lady Kim Keon Hee, also raided the facilities of the Unification Church after allegations that one of its officials gave Kim luxury goods.
Meanwhile, Osan Air Base, which is jointly operated by the United States and South Korea, was also the target of a raid last month by investigators looking into how Yoon’s activation of martial law transpired, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. South Korean officials have insisted the raid was in the areas controlled by Seoul.
Asked about his assertions by a reporter in front of Lee, Trump declined to confront the South Korean president and instead said the two will discuss it later.
“It didn’t sound to me like South Korea,” Trump said.
Lee explained that the special prosecutor was tapped by the country’s National Assembly to investigate the actions of Yoon, who Lee said staged a “self-coup.”
At that point, Trump interjected, “Is his name Deranged Jack Smith, by any chance?” He was referring to the special prosecutor who led two criminal cases against Trump before the Republican president was reelected to a second term.