Lee Jae-myung said Trump’s comments on church raids raised fears of a diplomatic clash, though talks focused on trade and security.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said his staff feared his Oval Office talks with President Trump could become a “Zelenskyy moment” after Mr. Trump criticized Seoul’s church raids.
“Before I met with President Trump, he posted on Truth Social a very threatening post, which I felt,” Mr. Lee said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday. “My staff was worried that we might face a Zelenskyy moment.”
Mr. Trump had written, “What is going on in South Korea? Seems like a purge or revolution. We can’t have that and do business there.” He later told reporters he heard “bad things” from U.S. intelligence about “very vicious” church raids.
Despite tensions, Mr. Lee said his private talks with Mr. Trump focused on trade and modernizing security agreements. He called Trump’s remarks a negotiating tactic, stressing he trusted the U.S.-Korea alliance would remain intact.
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