South Korea PM meets Trump after investment pledge approved

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with a smiling U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, a day after South Korea's parliament passed a special bill enabling Seoul to implement a $350 billion investment pledge in the U.S.

South Korea's Yonhap new agency published a photo of Kim with Trump on its website. It showed Trump with a broad smile and flashing a thumbs up sign.

In late January, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on South Korean goods to 25%, saying Seoul's legislature had yet to enact the trade framework that had capped U.S. levies at 15%.

Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung finalised details the trade deal at a summit in South Korea in October.

A South Korean official confirmed Friday's meeting between Kim and Trump but gave no other details.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the meeting, which was not previously announced, but came after Kim met U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Thursday.

Kim's office said he told Vance that the bill's approval demonstrated the government's strong commitment to carrying out the investment agreement reached between the countries' leaders.

Kim's office said Vance welcomed the bill's passage, saying it established the legal conditions needed to implement the investment deal, and called for continued close communication between the governments on the issue.

Seoul and Washington are treaty allies with close military ties and more than 28,000 U.S. troops are station in South Korea.

South Korean media has reported that some U.S. missile defense batteries have been shipped out South Korea's Osan Air Base and were likely to be redeployed to U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates given the conflict in the Middle East.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said last week the U.S. and South Korean militaries were discussing the possible redeployment of some U.S. Patriot missile defenses to the Middle East and President Lee said this week that Seoul can deter any threats from North Korea even if Washington redeploys weapons.