By David Brunnstrom, Josh Smith and Ju-min Park

WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, will face a pivotal moment on Monday when he meets U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington for their first summit, as the countries’ decades-old alliance strains to confront rapid geopolitical changes.

Much is riding on the meeting for Lee, who took office in June after a snap election called after his conservative predecessor – feted in Washington for his hard line on North Korea – was removed for attempting to impose martial law.

South Korea’s economy relies heavily on the U.S., Washington underwrites the country’s security with troops and nuclear deterrence, and Lee hopes to chart a balanced path of cooperating with the United States while not antagonizing top tra

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