Lee to meet Bessent to discuss tariffs, U. S.-China summit

SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung will meet visiting U. S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week, Lee's office said Tuesday, with the two expected to discuss U. S. tariffs among other issues. Lee will receive a courtesy call from Bessent on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said, just one day before Bessent heads to China for the summit between U. S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Diplomatic sources earlier confirmed Bessent's one-day trip to Seoul. Observers say Lee and Bessent are expected to exchange views on U. S. tariff measures and global supply chain stability, issues that will also likely come up at this week's U. S.-China summit. Lee and Bessent are also expected to discuss other pending issues between Seoul and Washington. Bessent is also scheduled to hold high-level trade talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Seoul on Wednesday to coordinate details ahead of the high-stakes summit between Trump and Xi. President Lee Jae Myung (R) speaks with U. S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (L) at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York, in this Sept. 24, 2025, file photo. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) (END)