Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. 

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on the 25th (local time), ahead of bilateral working-level talks between South Korea and the U.S., that it appears as though a "purge or revolution" is taking place in South Korea.

The South Korean presidential office stated that it would look into the matter to grasp the exact situation.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, earlier that day, President Trump wrote, "What is going on in South Korea?" adding, "It looks like a purge or revolution."

He further added, "We cannot accept that, and we cannot do business there."

President Trump stated, "I am meeting the new president (President Lee Jae-myung) at the White House today," and added, "Thank you for your interest in this matter."

The mention of a "purge" or "revolution" is presumed to be in reference to the special counsel investigation into insurrection within South Korea, as well as the investigations and trials concerning former President Yoon Suk Yeol and others.

Kang Yu-jung, spokesperson for the presidential office, who was briefing the press at the Washington D.C. press center ahead of the summit, said, "It appears that we need to verify (the exact situation)."

When asked whether the presidential office was aware of President Trump's social media post, Spokesperson Kang replied, "It seems to be a matter where we need to confirm whether it is an official account," before making the aforementioned comment.

As news of President Trump's social media post emerged almost simultaneously with the time of the briefing, it appears that the spokesperson was unaware of the post at that moment.

Observers suggest that President Trump's "bombshell" remark just before the South Korea-U.S. summit may have been influenced by the perceptions of some hardline figures within his core support base, known as "MAGA" (Make America Great Again).

Following President Lee's election last June, Laura Loomer posted an unfounded claim on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Communists have taken over South Korea and won today's presidential election. This is a terrible thing."

By posting such a controversial message ahead of the bilateral talks, President Trump may be signaling the possibility that he will raise issues regarding the South Korean special counsel investigation into insurrection and the arrest and indictment of the former president during the summit.

There is also speculation that President Trump's decision to post this message before his first meeting with President Lee could be a pressure tactic intended to secure maximum concessions during the summit.

Korea-U.S. Daily & Yonhap News