Acting president Han, Trump hold half-hour phone call

Acting President Han Duck-soo had a 28-minute phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday night, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

This was the first phone call between the heads of the two nations since Trump took office on Jan. 20. The call took place from 9:03 p.m. to 9:31 p.m.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol held a 12-minute phone call with Trump on Nov. 7, 2024, shortly after the latter was elected president. The two discussed the South Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korea’s status regarding the Ukrainian War and more, according to reports.

They also agreed to hold a bilateral summit, which was a casualty of Yoon’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.

Han and Trump are likely to have discussed South Korea-U.S. alliance issues, the three-way partnership of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo as well as North Korean security issues and the ongoing tariff tensions, according to media reports.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]