Washington: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced plans to address a comprehensive array of issues related to North Korea and the United States' demand for strategic flexibility for US forces stationed in South Korea during an upcoming high-stakes summit with President Donald Trump. This announcement was made during his journey from Tokyo to Washington, as reported by local media outlets.

According to Anadolu Agency, President Lee communicated his intentions to discuss additional topics such as security, defense cost-sharing, and tariff negotiations during his meeting with President Trump on Monday. The US request for strategic flexibility regarding the 28,500 US troops in South Korea poses challenges for agreement, but Lee acknowledged the importance of discussions about the future role of the US Forces Korea (USFK).

The Trump administration has been pursuing increased flexibility in the mission of US forces as part of a broader strategy aimed at countering China. President Lee expressed his belief that the US would refrain from making "unreasonable demands" during the talks, committing to efforts that prioritize national interests.

In the context of North Korea, Lee plans to address all pertinent issues at the summit, emphasizing the importance of dialogue with Pyongyang, especially after its rejection of his peace proposal. Recently, Lee introduced a three-stage denuclearization plan for North Korea intended to encourage the freezing, reduction, and eventual dismantling of its nuclear weapons program.

Highlighting the significance of the North Korean issue, Lee stated, "The issue of North Korea is very important to us, so whether it is a nuclear issue or North Korean issue, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are the most important things for the security of the Republic of Korea," using South Korea's official name to underscore his point.