Choi has been handling state affairs after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law debacle late last year.
Seoul has made a request through diplomatic channels, according to the ministry. "It is expected to hear from the U.S. side, once arrangements are made," a ministry spokesperson told reporters.
When Trump began his first term in 2017, South Korea was in the midst of a similar political turmoil with former disgraced President Park Geun-hye facing impeachment over a massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal, causing the first phone call between the two countries to come belatedly. Trump spoke with then-Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn about 10 days after taking office.
Since his inauguration last month, Trump has met with a number of global leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He has also spoken by phone with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, there have been no official phone calls between Seoul and Washington yet.
Meanwhile, working-level discussions between the two countries are expected in the coming weeks. National security adviser Shin Won-sik is set to visit the U.S. later this month, while Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul is preparing for a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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