South Korean President Lee Jae Myung floated the idea of building a Trump Tower in North Korea during a meeting at the White House this week, as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed interest in reviving direct talks with Kim Jong Un.
The meeting marked the first between Trump and Lee, who took office earlier this year.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump Organization for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The suggestion of a Trump-branded property at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) comes as both Seoul and Washington grapple with how to resume engagement with Pyongyang. The North has continued its nuclear weapons development during a yearslong pause in diplomacy, and recent ties with Moscow have complicated potential negotiations.
Lee, seeking to move past a military takeover attempt by his predecessor, positioned himself as a facilitator of dialogue rather than an instigator of confrontation. His appeal for Trump’s involvement reflects a strategic pivot in South Korean foreign policy, which seeks to cool tensions on the peninsula.
What To Know
“The only person who can make progress is you, Mr. President,” Lee said in the meeting. “If you become the peacemaker, then I will assist you by being a pacemaker.”
Lee also proposed building a Trump Tower in North Korea and playing golf there.
“I look forward to your meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un, and the construction of a Trump Tower in North Korea and playing golf at that place,” he added.
Trump, who met Kim three times during his first term, responded positively. “I get along with him really well. I look forward to meeting with Kim Jong Un in the appropriate future,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Lee’s meeting with Trump also touched on trade and defense but largely avoided contentious specifics. Seoul recently negotiated U.S. tariffs on South Korean goods down to 15 percent, following an agreement to invest $350 billion in the U.S.—with $150 billion allocated to shipbuilding.
Trump said of that deal, “They had some problems with it, but we stuck to our guns.”
The leaders sidestepped discussion of U.S. troop levels in South Korea, though Trump hinted at a potential U.S. acquisition of the land under Osan Air Base, a joint military facility south of Seoul.
He also praised the economic partnership between the two countries, saying: “We love what they do. We love their products. We love their ships.”
What People Are Saying
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told U.S. President Donald Trump via an interpreter: “I heard that you recently redecorated the Oval Office, and I would like to say that it looks very bright and beautiful. It has the dignity of America, and it symbolizes the new future and prosperity of America.”
What Happens Next
Despite public enthusiasm from Trump and Lee, North Korea has yet to respond positively. Pyongyang has ignored recent overtures from Seoul and dismissed U.S. attempts to reopen dialogue. Analysts say any future summit would require new terms, as Kim has insisted he will not relinquish nuclear weapons under current conditions.
The renewed visibility of Trump’s diplomacy, coupled with Lee’s unconventional proposal, could reset the tone for inter-Korean relations. But without substantive concessions from the North or a detailed U.S. strategy, the proposal of a Trump Tower near the DMZ may remain more metaphor than blueprint.
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