South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met Donald Trump in New York first. Then he flew straight to Mexico and deepened ties there — and the tacos made the internet happy.
The two leaders held an impromptu 30-minute summit on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. On the table: South Korea's large strategic investments in the U.S. — tied to the tariff deals — plus nuclear-powered submarines, shipbuilding, and security issues on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul has formally put forward a $22.3 billion gas-fired power project in Encinal, Texas as the first piece of its $200 billion strategic investment program for the United States, part of a broader $350 billion commitment. The two sides also agreed to keep pushing on nuclear-submarine fuel, uranium enrichment, spent-fuel reprocessing, and the transfer of wartime operational control of South Korean forces.
Right after that, Lee deepened ties with Mexico — a core USMCA partner. It was the first state visit to Mexico by a South Korean president in 16 years. He sat down with President Claudia Sheinbaum, and the two countries signed 17 memorandums of understanding covering economic cooperation, defense, aerospace, and AI. Lee called Mexico a "key strategic platform" for reaching North American markets, pointing to Kia's $649 million EV plant investment in Nuevo León as the model.
For Trump's America First approach, this is mostly aligned. Korean companies already build in Mexico to serve the U.S. market — there are over 500 Korean companies in Mexico that have invested $13.3 billion and created 150,000 jobs. Stronger Korea-Mexico industrial ties reinforce North American supply chains, reduce dependence on China, and keep high-value manufacturing inside the USMCA zone rather than elsewhere. It also shows a major U.S. ally hedging and diversifying while still prioritizing the Trump-era investment and security relationship with Washington.
And then there were the tacos. On the Friday evening of the visit, Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung strolled through Mexico City's Zona Rosa and stopped at the popular Tacos Atarantados for tacos al pastor and ice-cold Coca-Cola, posing for photos with the staff. The pictures spread fast online.
Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung pose with staff at Tacos Atarantados in Mexico City's Zona Rosa on September 25. (Blue House)
The presidential couple takes selfies with locals during their Zona Rosa walk. (Blue House)
Lee and Kim greet a local family in Zona Rosa, Mexico City's "Little Seoul." (Blue House)
The tacos made the internet happy. The real signal is South Korea locking in deeper industrial and defense cooperation with Mexico right after sitting down with Trump — a quiet win for nearshoring and North American economic strength.
Never miss a story.
Join our Telegram channel and get every article link the second it's published.
Join Telegram Channel