President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are set to field questions from reporters Tuesday, hours after the US President touched down here for the first time.
With tensions still flaring over the quickening pace of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Trump’s visit here marks a critical moment in the US-South Korea alliance — and a test. Trump has sought to push a more aggressive approach to the North Korean threat, whereas Moon rose to power on a platform of increased dialogue with Pyongyang.
Trump has also been fiercely critical of KORUS, the free trade agreement between the US and South Korea, suggesting earlier this year he might terminate it, and Trump is expected to press Moon for changes to the deal.
Trump kicked off his visit here with a stop at Camp Humphreys, a joint US-South Korean base, where he sat down for lunch with troops from both countries creating a photo opportunity drawing attention to the critical military alliance. Nearly 30,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea.
Trump is not expected to visit the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas during his two-day visit here, making him only the second US president since Ronald Reagan not to visit the DMZ.
A senior White House official said the administration opted for the visit to Camp Humphreys to highlight the military burden-sharing between the two countries and because visits to the DMZ have become a bit “cliché.”
Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis have all visit the DMZ this year in separate visits.