Trump says there seems to be 'purge or revolution' in South Korea

Washington, Aug 25 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said Monday there seems to be something like a "purge or revolution" in South Korea, and that the United States cannot have such a thing and "do business there," as he is set to have a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the day.

Trump made the remarks in a social media post, as former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained over his botched martial law bid in December, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"We can't have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House," he added.

On Sunday, the White House announced a plan for President Donald Trump to have summit talks and a luncheon with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung this week, as Lee arrived in Washington on Sunday for the high-stakes meeting.

Trump plans to greet Lee at the White House at noon on Monday (Washington time) and start a bilateral meeting at the Oval Office 15 minutes later before joining a bilateral lunch at the Cabinet Room at 12:45 pm, according to the White House.

The White House had not made a public announcement on the detailed summit plan, though it confirmed earlier that there will be a meeting between the two leaders.

Lee and Trump are expected to discuss security, trade and other key issues at a time when the Trump administration is pushing to "modernize" the alliance in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Ahead of his summit with Trump, Lee Jae Myung met with Korean Americans on Sunday, asking them to help Seoul advance the decades-old alliance with Washington.

Lee met with Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), the first Korean American elected to Congress, and other compatriots upon his arrival in Washington for his first summit with Trump on Monday, which is expected to discuss security, trade and other crucial issues between the two nations.

"I am embarking on an important journey to open a new path for the 72-year Korea-US alliance by bringing our strength together for all these changes," Lee said.

--IANS

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