South Korea’s Lee leaves G7 with Trump’s pen after talks he says made ‘significant progress’ on peninsula peace

SEOUL, June 18 — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung left the G7 summit in France ‌with the souvenir of a pen from US President Donald Trump and the promise of a golf game after a dinner discussion he described as making ‌progress over the issue of North Korea.

Lee, attending the summit in Evian-les-Bains as an invited partner, said today he had spoken at length with Trump during the leaders’ dinner.

“We had an in-depth conversation for about 90 minutes about peace on the Korean peninsula and South Korea-US relations, and made significant progress,” Lee wrote on X.

The next day Trump handed Lee the pen he had been using to sign documents at the summit, a gesture that Lee ‌suggested echoed their own first summit, when Trump received a pen ⁠Lee used.

Lee said Trump also talked over ⁠dinner about playing golf with him and ⁠first lady Kim Hea Kyung.

“I ⁠thought it was ⁠just a passing remark, but it seems I should prepare,” Lee said, adding that Trump raised the matter twice.

“He said he would ⁠play golf with my wife and me, and my wife even sealed the promise by hooking fingers,” Lee said. “Then, after today’s luncheon, he again said we should definitely play golf together.”

While posing for a group photograph earlier, Lee asked Trump to take the lead in ⁠pursuing a peaceful resolution of tension with neighbouring North Korea, Lee’s office said.

The presidential Blue House said the leaders also ⁠discussed mutually beneficial efforts such as shipbuilding, and agreed on the importance of cooperation ⁠between ⁠South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Seoul and Washington are close security allies, though ties in recent years have been strained at times over issues ‌such as US tariffs and the sharing of defence costs.

Trump described Lee as a “strong leader,” Lee’s office said. — Reuters