Summit seen as friendly

[Anchor]

Now, let's connect with our correspondent in Washington to get a sense of the atmosphere from the U.S. side.

Correspondent Kim Ji-sook, what evaluations are coming out regarding this meeting in Washington?

[Reporter]

Major U.S. media outlets had predicted that President Lee Jae Myung might face some awkward moments during the meeting, but they are evaluating that the talks were conducted in a friendly atmosphere.

This is in contrast to President Trump raising questions about South Korea's political stability just before the meeting, indicating that President Lee's efforts to win Trump's favor were successful.

The Washington Post also analyzed that the compliments President Lee gave to President Trump brought a smile to Trump's face.

There are also evaluations that the first meeting between the two leaders provided an opportunity to establish a close relationship.

After the summit, President Trump expressed it this way about President Lee.

[Donald Trump/President of the United States: "And he's a very good guy. Very good representative for South Korea."]

[Anchor]

The gifts presented to President Trump are also drawing attention.

What kind of gifts were they?

[Reporter]

Symbolic gifts were prepared for the summit as a means of expressing intimacy and respect.

This time, President Lee prepared a golden turtle ship model, which aims to convey the excellence of our shipbuilding technology that the U.S. is interested in, encompassing both tradition and modernity.

A golf putter customized to fit President Trump's physique and a MAGA hat in the shape of a cowboy hat with his name engraved were also presented.

When President Trump showed interest in the pen that President Lee used to sign the White House guestbook, President Lee spontaneously gifted the pen to him.

President Trump also responded with a MAGA hat, golf balls, and commemorative coins.

Notably, he also gave President Lee a photo album containing the image of himself after the assassination attempt—something Lee had mentioned he wanted to receive.

[Anchor]

While the atmosphere was good, there are evaluations that the thorny issues between South Korea and the U.S. were not resolved, right?

[Reporter]

The first meeting between the two leaders concluded relatively smoothly in confirming a friendly alliance, but sensitive topics were not seriously addressed.

It seems that the difficult homework has been pushed to the back burner.

However, even though these issues were not discussed this time, there are clear directions from the Trump administration regarding tariff negotiations promising investment in the U.S., the relocation of U.S. troops in case of emergencies, and the defense cost issue for U.S. troops in South Korea.

Therefore, this meeting is seen as a formality, and the subsequent discussions will be important as the real bill from the U.S. is expected to come in the future.

This has been reported from Washington.