ULSAN, South Korea - When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meets with President Donald Trump for the first time on Monday, he will arrive at the White House with a gift that’s sure to please Trump: South Korea’s shipbuilding prowess.

With US foreign policy in flux, Japan and South Korea are finding common ground on trade, defense, and demographic challenges.

Barely two months into office, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung faces a pivotal foreign policy test, heading into back-to-back summits in Tokyo and Washington that reflect the wider struggle of U.