South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday ahead of his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, set for Monday at the White House. The three-day visit opens with talks billed as a high-stakes test of the 72-year alliance as both governments reassess security and economic ties amid sharpening competition with China and an escalating North Korean weapons program. U.S. officials say Trump will press Seoul to shoulder a larger share of the cost of stationing 28,500 American troops on the peninsula. Advisors close to the president have floated a target of defence spending of about 5 percent of GDP for treaty allies, a level that would require a steep increase in South Korea’s annual host-nation contribution. The leaders also plan to finalise a framework trade accord announced last month. Under provisional terms, Washington would trim planned reciprocal tariffs on Korean exports to 15 percent from 25 percent in exchange for Seoul’s pledge to channel roughly US$350 billion of new investment into U.S. manufacturing and energy projects. Business chiefs from both countries are due to discuss implementation at a roundtable following the summit. Lee’s Washington trip follows a weekend stop in Tokyo, where he and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba restarted Japan-South Korea ‘shuttle diplomacy.’ By combining closer coordination with Tokyo and an updated alliance with Washington, Seoul aims to counter Pyongyang’s expanding arsenal while maintaining supply-chain resilience in high-tech sectors. North Korea’s denuclearisation and broader Indo-Pacific security are expected to feature prominently in Monday’s talks.