Gyeongju: US President Donald Trump affirmed the strength of relations between his country and South Korea, noting that Seoul is a valued friend and ally of Washington. Trump made this statement during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, held in Gyeongju, South Korea.

According to Qatar News Agency, the US president indicated that a trade agreement with South Korea would be finalized very soon, amid reports that negotiations over the details of the agreement had reached an impasse. For his part, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked his US counterpart to allow South Korea access to fuel for its nuclear-powered submarines and pledged to increase defense spending to bolster the country's military capabilities.

The South Korean president made these remarks at the start of their summit talks in Gyeongju, southeast of Seoul, where Seoul is seeking to amend the bilateral nuclear energy agreement with Washington to gain greater flexibility in reprocessing spent nuclear fuel and uranium enrichment. The visit marks the US President's first trip to South Korea during his second term in office. The two-day state visit began today as the President arrived in the South Korean city of Busan.