"Trump Says It's Time to Pay Attention to North Korea"... Requests Construction of 10 Warships

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has personally revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump requested the construction of 10 U.S. warships in South Korea. He also conveyed that President Trump mentioned it is time to pay attention to the North Korean issue.

Reporter Park Yerim has the story.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung, who held a briefing on the results of his European tour, spoke to the press.

He stated that he met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 Summit and agreed on reciprocal cooperation in sectors such as shipbuilding, while also disclosing a proposal made by President Trump.

[President Lee Jae-myung: He asked me if we could quickly build 10 U.S. warships. I replied that it is certainly possible and that we would do our best.]

He also shared that French President Emmanuel Macron, the host of the summit, arranged for him to sit next to President Trump during the state dinner, allowing for an extensive conversation regarding the North Korean nuclear issue.

[President Lee Jae-myung: (President Trump) said that it is time to pay attention to the North Korean issue.]

President Lee mentioned, "I told him that the North Korean nuclear issue should not be approached in the same way as dealing with other countries," adding, "President Trump agreed, but he seems to be struggling because there is no clear solution."

He also explained the South Korean government's phased approach, noting that President Trump responded by saying it could be one possible method and that he would give it serious consideration.

[President Lee Jae-myung: First, we stop and pause, and once things stabilize, we can move toward denuclearization by reducing [nuclear capabilities] or taking other steps, creating the right conditions together.]

The "way of dealing with other countries" mentioned by President Lee is interpreted as referring to the U.S. approach to Iran's nuclear program, which does not rule out the use of military force. President Lee emphasized that it is clear the North Korean nuclear issue should not be approached in the same manner as the Middle East issue.

(Video coverage: Jung Sang-bo, Yoon Hyung | Video editing: Park Sun-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.