ドナルド・トランプ米大統領は金曜日、ホワイトハウスでの記者会見において、韓国に対する親愛の情を表明した。これは、両国が造船分野での連携を強化する覚書（MOU）に署名した直後のことであった。
トランプ大統領の発言は、イランがホルムズ海峡で韓国が運航する貨物船を攻撃したとする自身の先日のソーシャルメディアへの投稿に関する質問に応じたもの。イラン側はこの主張を否定している。
このMOUは、昨年の二国間貿易・投資協定の一環を成すものである。この合意に基づき、ソウル側は米国の造船セクターに1500億ドルを投資すると約束しており、年間上限200億ドル、総額3500億ドルのコミットメントに寄与することになる。
トランプ大統領はこれまで、イランとの対立の中で海峡の再開を目指す米国の取り組みに対し、韓国が海軍の支援提供に消極的であるとして不満を表明していた。先月、大統領は北朝鮮近辺に米軍が駐留しているにもかかわらず、韓国は協力していないと述べていた。
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South Korea and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to strengthen bilateral shipbuilding cooperation. The deal forms part of a trade agreement under which Seoul pledged $150 billion in U.S. shipbuilding investments.
The Donald Trump administration unveiled an action plan to rebuild America's shipbuilding industry, pledging to continue 'historic' cooperation with South Korea and Japan. The plan proposes a 'Bridge Strategy' allowing initial ships to be built in allied foreign shipyards. This comes amid efforts to counter China's overwhelming shipbuilding capacity.
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Continuing his criticism of allies, U.S. President Donald Trump on April 1 at a White House Easter luncheon called South Korea 'not helpful' and urged it and others to secure the Strait of Hormuz, blocked by Iran amid its war with the U.S. and Israel. He noted U.S. troops 'in harm's way' near North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on April 20, agreeing to double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030 and cooperate on energy supply chains amid Middle East tensions. The leaders confirmed resuming CEPA upgrade talks and signing MoUs in shipbuilding, AI and other areas. A selfie taken by Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong with a Galaxy Z Flip7 during the event went viral.
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A Cheong Wa Dae official said South Korea will carefully assess the impact of the Trump administration's decision to raise tariffs on EU autos and trucks to 25% and respond accordingly. The move has drawn attention in Seoul due to South Korea's similar tariff deal with the US. The government plans to communicate closely with Washington to maintain stable trade relations.
President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron held a summit in Seoul on April 3, agreeing to cooperate on securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Middle East war's energy crisis. The two nations upgraded their ties to a 'global strategic partnership' and set a goal to expand bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2030. They signed multiple memorandums of understanding across various sectors.
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South Korea's ambassador to the US stated that Seoul is closely monitoring possibilities for renewed US-North Korea dialogue during President Donald Trump's upcoming China visit, considering global factors like ongoing wars and alliances.