Yoon, Trump, in phone call, agree to hold meeting at early date

President Yoon Suk Yeol held a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday to congratulate him on his "landslide victory," and they agreed to hold an in-person meeting at an early date, according to Yoon's office.

Yoon congratulated Trump on his victory with the "Make America Great Again" slogan and expressed hope for continued collaboration with the United States under his leadership, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters.

In response, Trump expressed his gratitude, saying he looks forward to continuing the cooperative relationship between South Korea and the US, Kim noted.

The call, which lasted about 12 minutes, covered discussions on security, the economy and global issues, with both leaders agreeing to set a date and location soon for an in-person meeting.

Yoon said Trump's first term laid the groundwork for the robust trilateral relationship among South Korea, the US and Japan, expressing hope to develop the US-South Korea alliance as a close partnership covering all areas of security and economy.

They also discussed North Korea's situation, including recent nuclear developments, missile launches and troop deployment to Russia, and expressed their concerns on these security issues and on the urgency of the situation in Ukraine, according to Kim.

Trump mentioned the US seeks to work with South Korea in the shipbuilding industry, particularly in naval shipbuilding, exports, repairs and maintenance, according to the office.

They agreed that an in-person meeting would be essential to discuss these matters further and will coordinate soon on a date and location, Kim added.

A second Donald Trump administration is expected to bring shifts and unpredictability to the US-South Korea alliance, potentially increasing pressure on Seoul to take on a larger share of the burden as a US ally, experts said Wednesday.

Another key focus will be how Trump might address North Korea's denuclearization, especially amid growing skepticism about Washington's commitment to this goal, as well as his approach to Russia's war in Ukraine, where North Korean troops have been sent to support Moscow, they said.

Trump, known for his transactional view of alliances, may seek to renegotiate the defense cost-sharing agreement with South Korea, potentially jacking up Seoul's share of the costs for stationing the 28,500 US troops here. (Yonhap)