South Korean, US held 'acrimonous' talks over fund ahead of summit

1/9/2025 19:18

South Korea and the United States had major disagreements over the details of the $350 billion fund agreed as part of a trade deal ahead of an August 25 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a senior official in Seoul said on Monday.



Presidential policy adviser Kim Yong-beom said the United States tried to use the summit to increase pressure on Seoul to produce documents on the details of the investments, a move which drew resistance from Seoul officials and sparked concerns over the outcome of the summit.



"There were tense moments like yelling," he said during an interview livestreamed on a YouTube channel. He was apparently referring to a two-hour conference call he and other Korean officials had with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick the day before the summit.



He said the call was at one point "acrimonious" and he was worried that he would "screw up the summit".