South Korea's Lee faces pivotal test at first summit with Trump

FILE PHOTO: This file photo taken on December 3, 2014 shows a general view of an under-construction Maersk triple-E class container ship at the Daewoo DSME shipyard in Okpo, 60km south of Busan. Asia's fourth largest economy South Korea is facing gruelling tariffs by US President Donald Trump, but its shipbuilding industry could prove a useful bargaining chip. - AFP

WASHINGTON/SEOUL: South Korea's new president, Lee Jae Myung, will face a pivotal moment on Monday (Aug 25) when he meets US President Donald Trump in Washington for their first summit, as the countries' decades-old alliance strains to confront rapid geopolitical changes.

Much is riding on the meeting for Lee, who took office in June after a snap election called after his conservative predecessor - feted in Washington for his hard line on North Korea - was removed for attempting to impose martial law.