By SEUNG MIN KIM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is hosting Lee Jae Myung, the new president of South Korea , at the White House on Monday for talks expected to center on trade and defense.

The first in-person meeting between the two leaders could help flesh out details of a July trade deal between the two countries that has Seoul investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. The agreement set tariffs on South Korean goods at 15% after Trump threatened rates as high as 25%.

Trump declared at the time that South Korea would be “completely OPEN TO TRADE” with the U.S. and accept goods such as cars and agricultural products. Automobiles are South Korea’s top export to the U.S.

Seoul has one of the largest trade surpluses among Washington’s NATO and I

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