▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 2025, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)
▲ Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo holds phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at his office in Seoul on April 8, 2025, in this photo provided by the prime minister's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) acting president-Trump

(2nd LD) Trump says he, Han discussed S. Korea's defense payments, 'tremendous, unsustainable' trade surplus in 1st call

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout)

By Kim Seung-yeon and Song Sang-ho

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, April 8 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he and South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo discussed Seoul's payment for the United States' "big time" military protection of the Asian ally as they held their first phone call since Trump took office in January.

In a social media post, he said he had a "great" call with Han, during which they touched on a range of issues, including South Korea's "tremendous and unsustainable" trade surplus with the U.S., the purchase of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) and bilateral shipbuilding cooperation.

Their conversation came four days after South Korea's Constitutional Court removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his short-lived martial law imposition in December.

"I just had a great call with the Acting President of South Korea. We talked about their tremendous and unsustainable Surplus, Tariffs, Shipbuilding, large scale purchase of U.S. LNG, their joint venture in an Alaska Pipeline, and payment for the big time Military Protection we provide to South Korea," he wrote on Truth Social.

"They began these Military payments during my first term, Billions of Dollars, but Sleepy Joe Biden, for reasons unknown, terminated the deal. That was a shocker to all! In any event, we have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries."

Trump added that South Korea's "top" team is on a plane heading to the U.S. for negotiations.

"Things are looking good," he said. "We are likewise dealing with many other countries, all of whom want to make a deal with the United States."

Earlier, Han's office said the two sides had 28-minute phone talks, which marked the first conversation between Seoul and Washington at the leaders' level since Trump took office.

Trump held phone talks with Yoon soon after his election win in November last year. But no phone calls had taken place between Han and Trump in the wake of Yoon's martial law attempt.

The call between Han and Trump came in the midst of political and diplomatic uncertainties for Seoul as the leadership vacuum has stoked worries over a delay in leader-to-leader engagement with its ally, at a time when it faces a string of issues to address with Washington, from Trump's tariffs to North Korea's evolving military threats.

Han, the prime minister who has been serving as acting president since Yoon was impeached in December, was also suspended for nearly three months after the opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached him. He returned to office two weeks ago as the top court dismissed the impeachment.

There was no contact between Trump and then acting President Choi Sang-mok, the finance minister, during Han's suspension.

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