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Investing.com -- President Donald Trump criticized South Korea for political instability ahead of a White House meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday.
"WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there," Trump posted on social media hours before the scheduled summit.
The meeting comes weeks after both countries reached a last-minute trade agreement that capped tariffs on US imports of South Korean goods at 15%, allowing Seoul to avoid the 25% rate Trump had threatened to impose. US officials have since indicated dissatisfaction with the terms.
Before leaving for Washington, Lee warned that the meeting might be difficult, noting that some US officials viewed the July tariff deal as too favorable to Seoul.
"Some in Washington think the agreement benefits Korea too much, and different departments are surfacing calls to change it," Lee told reporters on his presidential aircraft. "We can’t simply accept unilateral attempts to reopen what both presidents have already approved."
The summit agenda was expected to include defense cooperation issues, which Seoul initially attempted to incorporate into the tariff agreement. US officials also sought details about the $350 billion South Korea pledged to invest in the US as part of the deal.
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