US President Gets Gold Crown From South Korea

As President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump held talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit, Lee awarded Trump with South Korea’s highest state honor and presented a replica of an ancient Korean crown, the South Korean presidential office said Wednesday.

As a gesture of diplomatic friendship, Lee awarded Trump the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, Korea’s highest honor reserved for heads of state, to acknowledge Trump’s achievement in advancing peace on the Korean Peninsula and to encourage his role as a “peacemaker” in the region.

According to the presidential office, Trump is the first US president to receive the decoration.

President Lee also presented Trump with a specially gilded replica of the Gold Crown from Cheonmachong, a Silla-era (57 BC- AD 935) artifact considered to be the tallest, widest and most ornate of Korea’s surviving ancient crowns. Crafted by cultural heritage specialist Kim Jin-bae, the replica is intended to represent leadership and dignity.

Trump, who arrived in Korea on Wednesday morning for the first time in six years, was welcomed through an official welcoming ceremony consisting of a 21-gun salute, symbolizing Korea’s commitment to honoring his visit.

The US president met Lee at the Gyeongju National Museum in the afternoon for an expanded luncheon meeting that included senior officials from both governments.

The meeting marked their second in-person summit since their last meeting at the White House in July and was also reported to be the shortest turnaround between South Korea and the US in diplomatic history, according to the presidential office. Trump is the first state head to visit the country as a state guest twice.