Trump Lauds Ties With South Korea as He Prepares for Key Talks on Trade

Anything Japan can do, South Korea can do better? A day after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi laid on the flattery during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Tokyo, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung welcomed him by presenting him with a golden crown. The Korean government also awarded Trump the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the country’s highest decoration, in recognition of his peacemaking efforts.

The tributes seemed to work. In a speech to corporate leaders at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, Trump said the US is “wedded” to South Korea via a “special bond”. Seoul is seeking to win the US president’s favor as the two sides work through significant sticking points in a sweeping trade deal after months of negotiations.

Trump is also preparing for a high-stakes meeting on Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. As he flew into South Korea, Trump said he expects to lower tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Beijing’s help in addressing the fentanyl crisis. He also said he was open to providing China access to Nvidia’s Blackwell AI processor as part of a trade deal. In response, Nvidia shares extended their dramatic ascent to a record in Asian trading. China also made positive signals as it bought at least two cargoes of US soybeans, its first known purchase this season, marking a possible revival of flows as part of a wider settlement expected to be agreed between the two leaders.