Lee, Trump discuss U.S.-China summit, Middle East, North Korea in phone call

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the results of Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Middle East situation in a phone call Sunday night, the Blue House said.

Trump explained the results of his summit with Xi, including U.S.-China relations, economic and trade agreements and the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a statement.  

Lee conveyed his congratulations on Trump's successful state visit to China, the first in nine years, and relayed that the "stable management of U.S.-China relations will contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the entire world."

The two leaders held the 30-minute phone call at Seoul's request to hear the results of Trump and Xi's two-day summit, which concluded Friday and discussed trade matters, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Xi and Trump last held a summit in South Korea in October last year.

During their phone call, Lee praised Trump's active leadership in resolving the situation in the Middle East and expressed hope for the speedy restoration of peace and stability in the region, the Blue House added.  

Lee and Trump also recalled that the bilateral Joint Fact Sheet signed last year "was a historic agreement that upgraded the South Korea-U.S. alliance to a new level" and agreed to strive for the faithful implementation of the agreement. The two leaders held their second bilateral summit on Oct. 29 last year on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, an occasion to conclude a trade deal and discuss South Korea's development of nuclear-powered submarines. This marks their first direct communication since their summit talks.  

Lee expressed appreciation that Trump and Xi held constructive consultations on the Korean Peninsula issue, Kang said. In turn, Trump relayed that he would continue to play a necessary role and make contributions to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula based on close cooperation between the two leaders. 

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington Friday that he discussed North Korea with Xi in their summit, though talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un didn't materialize during his China trip.  

Lee and Trump expressed anticipation for a reunion at the Group of 7, or G7, summit scheduled for mid-June in Evian, France, according to Kang.  

After the talks, Lee shared on his X account early Tuesday that he was briefed by Trump on the results of the U.S.-China summit.  

"We shared the understanding that close communication and coordination between our two governments is more important than ever amid rapidly changing global circumstances, and agreed to continue working together for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Lee wrote.  

He noted that his government "provided support to ensure that the U.S.-China trade negotiations could proceed smoothly in Korea." U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent visited Seoul last Wednesday for trade talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ahead of the U.S.-China summit.  

Lee added he agreed with Trump to "faithfully implement the Joint Fact Sheet in order to further deepen and advance our bilateral relations" and once again confirmed the "strength" of the bilateral alliance. 

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]