But Lee - a seasoned politican - successfully turned on the charm and averted what officials were fearing - a repeat of what happened to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky or South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa. Lee marveled at the new Oval Office decor and praised the personal rapport that the US president has with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

At the White House, President Trump and Lee Jae Myung praised each other’s eagerness to talk to North Korea’s leader — even if he doesn’t want to talk to them.

President Donald Trump has greeted South Korea's new president, Lee Jae Myung, by claiming a “Purge or Revolution” is happening there while threatening to stop doing business with Seoul.