President Lee, Trump Hold 30-Minute Summit; Discuss Nuclear-Powered Submarines, Enrichment and Reprocessing, Wartime Operational Control

[Financial News, New York (U.S.)—Reporter Choi Jong-geun]President Lee Jae Myung held a 30-minute bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 22nd (local time) while attending the United Nations General Assembly. The summit with President Trump had not initially been confirmed, but was arranged after the schedule was suddenly finalized that day, according to reports.
Wi Sung-lac, chief of Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Office, held a briefing at a press center in New York that day. He said, "President Lee held a South Korea–United States summit with President Trump for about 30 minutes. At the South Korea–United States summit, the two leaders welcomed the significant progress made in discussions on strategic investment projects between the two countries."
He emphasized, "The two leaders also reaffirmed their determination to further deepen cooperation between South Korea and the United States in areas including nuclear-powered submarines, fuel enrichment and reprocessing, shipbuilding cooperation, and the transfer of wartime operational control, based on the joint explanatory document on the South Korea–United States summit released last November, and agreed to hold follow-up consultations."
President Trump also reaffirmed his willingness to engage in dialogue with North Korea. The two leaders agreed to stay in close communication as a 'peacemaker' and a 'pacemaker' to open the door to dialogue and help establish sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, "Discussions on the nuclear energy agreement and nuclear-powered submarines had made little progress due to various external factors. But as the investment issue—which had been the biggest factor—has advanced, we emphasized the need to resume and move forward with related discussions." The official added, "We agreed to hold follow-up consultations in Washington, D.C., to advance issues involving shipbuilding cooperation, the nuclear energy agreement, nuclear-powered submarines, and the transfer of wartime operational control. The timing has not been set, but we will push to hold them as soon as possible."
Regarding North Korea–U.S. dialogue, the official said, "We expressed to President Trump our expectation that he would contribute to this issue, and President Trump said he would do so." President Trump also referred to his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and was reported to have said, to that effect, "I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and get along well with him, and there are almost no people like him."
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