TOKYO — Is the U.S. trying to send a message to South Korea’s new liberal president, Lee Jae-myung? He did not receive a congratulatory call from U.S. President Donald Trump until the evening of June 6, two days after taking office.
Former President Moon Jae-in, who assumed office immediately after the election, just like Lee, received a call from Trump on inauguration day in 2017. Lee’s predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, heard from then-U.S. President Joe Biden on the day his election victory was confirmed in 2022, while former President Park Geun-hye got her call the day after her win became official in 2013.
