Trump eases tone on South Korea instability after meeting President Lee
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office August 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
President Trump called his comments questioning South Korea's political stability a "misunderstanding" on Monday after President Lee Jae Myung explained that a special prosecutor investigating the recent coup attempt in the country conducted a raid confined to the Korean side of a base operated jointly with the U.S.
Why it matters: The president's initial comments shocked South Korean officials ahead of the two presidents meeting and came less than a month after the countries agreed on a massive trade deal.
- "WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA?" Trump posted hours before meeting Lee on Monday.
- "Seems like a Purge or Revolution," he continued. "We can't have that and do business there."
What they're saying: "I am sure it's a misunderstanding, but there's a rumor going around about raiding churches," President Trump said to Lee during a meeting in the Oval Office on Monday.
- "I'm sure that its going to be worked out fine," Trump continued.
- Lee clarified that the raids were part of a "fact-finding investigation" into the "coup" by the former president, led by a special prosecutor outside the president's control.
- Lee confirmed that there was a raid on the joint Osan Air Base in July but said that the country confined the operation to the "control system of the Korean military" and didn't "conduct a search and seizure of American bases."
- South Korean prosecutors have also conducted more than 10 raids on locations connected with the Unification Church, which authorities accuse of bribing officials in exchange for political favors, according to United Press International.
Catch up quick: South Korea held snap elections earlier this year after its previous President, Yoon Suk Yeol, caused a constitutional crisis by temporarily imposing martial law last December.
- Yoon's move shocked democratic allies across the globe, and the country's parliament responded by impeaching him.
- Lee led the campaign to oust Yoon and was eventually elected president.
Between the lines: The president's early morning post sparked concerns about how diplomatic the meeting would be, given Trump has held multiple high-profile, contentious meetings with world leaders in the White House.
- When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Oval Office in February, the meeting devolved into a heated shouting match that was abruptly cut short.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was ambushed with a video falsely accusing the nation of committing a genocide against white residents in the country during a visit to the White House in May.
More from Axios:
- Trump says U.S. strikes trade deal with South Korea
- Trump at South Korea summit says he wants to meet with Kim Jong-un
Editor's note: this story has been updated with additional reporting.
