Shocking scenario: South Korea quietly retaliates, Trump can only smile wryly?
Washington D.C. – Under the bright lights of the White House, with cameras constantly panning and a team of tense reporters, President Donald Trump experienced a political moment that the whole world had to watch… and suddenly realized that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung had just quietly “set a trap” in front of him.
The incident happened at the end of August, before the direct meeting between the two heads of state. A few hours before Lee entered the Oval Office, Trump posted a shocking status on Truth Social:
“WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
Immediately, South Korean officials in the White House meeting room panicked, fidgeted, and passed around anxious messages. Lee’s aides, wide-eyed, tried to calm the South Korean president down in the face of Trump’s “social media fury.” “He could barely breathe when he read Trump’s tweet,” an anonymous source in Seoul said. “The whole room was shaking.”
But the unexpected happened. When Lee appeared, the tense mood immediately changed to a friendly meeting, with polite smiles and historic handshakes. At the joint press conference afterward, Trump gently suggested that it might just be a “misunderstanding” or “rumor.”
The scene quickly became a topic of discussion on social media and political forums: Lee Jae-myung made a spectacular escape, while Trump – seasoned with his opponents – could only smile and shrug.
The background to the story adds to the drama: Lee Jae-myung, the left-wing president of South Korea, is waging a campaign to crack down on conservatives, including investigating religious organizations and arresting opposition leaders. Not to mention, a raid on the Osan Air Base – operated by the US and South Korea – was also carried out at a sensitive time.
Experts immediately divided into two opposing opinions. The first group believes that Lee had carefully calculated, knowing that Trump has a habit of reacting quickly on social media, and that the “warning” tweet was part of a psychological strategy, to test Washington’s reaction and measure its limits.
Conversely, the second group believes that it was all just tabloid exaggeration, Trump posted a hot tweet, Lee appeared polite, and everything was simply normal diplomatic courtesy. But it was this moment that was hyped by fictional political bloggers: “This is a political chess game on the White House table! Who controls whom? Who is controlling whose psychology?”
Another point of interest was the economic and military moves involved. Lee had previously agreed to invest $350 billion in the US and buy another $100 billion in energy, but then quickly withdrew it, saying it would “destroy the South Korean economy”. At the same time, Lee continued to arrest the wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol and suppress the opposition party, while posting on social media that South Korea would be better off without US troops, a statement that raised doubts about Washington’s military commitment.
In the face of these developments, Trump, famous for his quick reactions, could only smile wryly at the press conference. That moment – the camera panned to his face – quickly became the symbol of “pranked president” on tabloid forums.
The atmosphere at the White House that day, according to sources, was like a storm sweeping through the Oval corridor: reporters gasped, lights flashed, papers flew everywhere, aides whispered anxiously, while Lee Jae-myung calmly held the microphone, making “moderate” statements but hiding a sophisticated political strategy.
Military and political observers also sketched out the behind-the-scenes scenario: Lee may have used Trump’s presence and reaction to strengthen his domestic position, while also sending a signal to China and North Korea that Washington would be more accommodating to South Korea’s internal political decisions. Some sensational commentators even hypothesized: “Lee is playing a ‘double game’ – outwardly appearing friendly with the US, inwardly suppressing the opposition and adjusting his policy towards Beijing and Pyongyang.”
The behind-the-scenes details are even more thrilling:
Physical distance: In the Oval Office, Lee stood between the US officials and the camera, enough to create pressure but still maintain politeness.
Body language: Lee smiled, smiled at Trump, but his hands were always tightly clasped on the documents, indicating careful preparation.
Timing: Trump’s tweet just hours before the meeting, forcing Lee and his team to react quickly – a huge psychological challenge.
On social media, the hashtag #LeeTrumpEncounter quickly went viral, with thousands of comments: from “Lee Jae-myung wins against Trump!” to “US President gets pranked right at the White House!” Clips recreating Trump reading the tweet, Lee appearing, shaking hands and smiling politely were shared at a dizzying rate, attracting thousands of
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