U.S. President Donald Trump hosted South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the White House on 25 August, their first bilateral meeting since Lee took office. In prepared remarks, Lee called Trump “the only person who can establish peace on the Korean Peninsula” and pledged to serve as a “pacemaker” if Trump acts as “peacemaker.” Lee credited Trump’s previous term with stabilising the peninsula and argued that North Korea’s nuclear advances accelerated after 2021. Trump said “we can do big progress with North Korea, absolutely,” suggesting renewed direct engagement with Kim Jong Un, although no timeline or initiatives were announced. Trump also addressed the historical dispute over wartime “comfort women,” describing it as “a very big problem for Korea, not for Japan,” and asserting that Tokyo “wanted to move on.” He praised former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe as “a great man” and urged closer Japan–South Korea cooperation. While the talks produced no formal agreements, both leaders said they would work toward fresh diplomacy with Pyongyang and strengthen three-way coordination with Japan. The meeting signals Seoul’s effort to secure Washington’s backing amid stalled nuclear negotiations and rising regional tensions.