Upon arrival, he headed to the CEO Summit as part of the APEC gathering and delivered a keynote speech, in which he said a trade deal with South Korea will be finalized "very soon," raising expectations for a possible breakthrough in stalled tariff-related negotiations between the two countries.
The negotiations include how Seoul will fulfill its pledge to invest $350 billion in the U.S. agreed last Jury as part of a broader deal to lower reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent.
Just ahead of the bilateral meeting with Trump later in the day which comes about two months after they first met in Washington, D.C. in August, President Lee Jae Myung decorated him with the Mugunghwa Medal, the country's highest honor, typically awarded to those who have made great achievements or significant contributions to the country.
About 90 foreign leaders and their spouses have received the honor so far, with former President of West Germany Heinrich Lübke being the first in 1964, and Trump becoming the first U.S. president to receive it.
The medal, produced by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation, contains 712.5 grams of gold and 412.5 grams of silver and other alloys. The gold alone is valued at approximately 130 million Korean won or about US$91,000, reflecting a recent hike in prices.
Trump also receive a gold-plated replica of the ancient Silla crown as a gift, symbolizing the summit's venue in Gyeongju, which was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla that flourished for over 1,000 years.
Earlier, Japan similarly rolled out the red carpet for him with lavish gifts including a gold-coated golf ball tailored to his taste and other gestures of flattery.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
