South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, shown speaking Aug. 15, 2025, is due to meet with President Trump during his first visit to Washington, D.C. (Ahn Young-joon | AP)SEOUL, South Korea — En route to his first summit with President Trump, South Korea’s president has pushed back against U.S. pressure to refocus his country’s 71-year-old military alliance with the U.S. away from deterring North Korea and toward countering China. And it wants South Korea’s support, including potentially sending troops to other countries and regions. A political divide along gender lines is growing in South Korea Young men and women are politically drifting apart across the developed world. The growing political gender divide in South Korea is making experts worried about the country’s future. NPR looks at how South Korea, a U.S. ally and export powerhouse, is coping with Trump’s tariffs.