Concerns over "Korea Passing" are mounting as it is reported that President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea, timed with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju later this month, will tentatively last only two days and one night. 

According to a report by Maeil Business Newspaper, President Trump is scheduled to attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in Malaysia on the 26th, before traveling to Japan on the 27th for a summit with the newly elected Japanese Prime Minister on the 28th.

The report further stated that he is highly likely to arrive in South Korea via Gimhae Airport on the 28th, attend APEC-related events in Gyeongju and hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 29th, before departing.

On the morning of the 29th, the APEC Business Summit is scheduled to be held at the Gyeongju Arts Center, with high-profile global business leaders such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang likely in attendance. It appears President Trump will attend this event before holding his meeting with Xi Jinping.

The APEC summit itself is scheduled for two days on the 31st and November 1st, meaning that under the current itinerary, President Trump would effectively be absent from the main summit.

Moreover, the anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has become uncertain. While a surprise meeting at Panmunjom could potentially take place late on the 28th if he enters the country via Osan Air Base, the South Korean government had originally expected President Trump to arrive in Florida on November 2nd; the current schedule represents a reduction of two full days.

Maeil Business Newspaper also reported that a visit to the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan and the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in Geoje, regarding MASGA (Maritime Security and Growth Alliance) cooperation, is unlikely to materialize.

The shortening of President Trump’s visit is being attributed to the Lee Jae-myung administration’s lukewarm stance on investment in the U.S., which has become a stumbling block in tariff negotiations.

From President Trump’s perspective, there were three key expectations for this visit: securing a signature on a trade agreement, a meeting with Xi Jinping, and a meeting with Kim Jong-un.

While the meeting with Xi Jinping is confirmed, the encounter with Kim Jong-un remains under coordination, and securing a signature from Lee Jae-myung regarding an investment agreement in the U.S. remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Citing a key official from the Presidential Office, Maeil Business Newspaper reported that "the administration will continue to coordinate the schedule and agenda for the summit until President Trump’s visit at the end of this month," adding that "while tariff negotiations are difficult, security cooperation is making progress, giving President Trump a reason to meet with President Lee Jae-myung."

NNP USA = Representative Reporter Hong Seong-gu / NNP Special Contract info@newsandpost.com