President Trump on Wednesday called South Korea President Moon Jae-in to congratulate him on his election victory and reaffirmed the friendship between their two countries, said the White House.
Mr. Trump also invited Mr. Moon to visit Washington, and the invitation was accepted, said the White House.
Mr. Moon, a liberal human rights lawyer, was sworn in Wednesday after winning a snap election a day earlier.
His election ended decades of conservative dominance in South Korea and stirred fear of clashes with Mr. Trump over North Korea policy, as Mr. Moon has proposed increased diplomatic outreach to the reclusive and unpredictable nuclear-armed communist regime.
Mr. Trump also has caused unease in South Korea by saying he would force the country to pay for a $1 billion THAAD missile-defense system deployed there by the U.S. He later backed off that demand.
In the phone call, Mr. Trump said he looked forward to working with Mr. Moon. The two leaders also agreed to continue to strengthen the U.S-South Korean alliance and to deepen the enduring friendship between our two countries, said the White House.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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