SEOUL: South Korea is seeking to arrange an early meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, possibly before Trump assumes office in January, a foreign ministry official said Thursday. The presidential office earlier confirmed that Yoon spoke by phone with Trump to congratulate him on his reelection and they agreed to hold an in-person meeting at an early date. According to Yonhap News Agency, a foreign ministry official stated on condition of anonymity, "As the president said they agreed to meet at an early date, we plan to coordinate the matter (with Washington)." The official suggested that Seoul might explore the possibility of a meeting taking place even before Trump is officially sworn in early next year. The context of such early meetings is not unprecedented, as demonstrated by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's rare surprise meeting with Trump following Trump's first presidential victory in 2016. The official noted, "Given that Trump had met with many in ternational leaders, it seems fair to say that he would be open to such an early meeting with Yoon as well. We take this as a positive sign and will proceed with preparations accordingly."