The president discussed trade, security, and shipbuilding on the last stop of his three-country tour of Asia.
GYEONGJU, South Korea—U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea on Oct. 29 to a red-carpet welcome with great fanfare, cannons blasting in a formal salute before he sat down with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and global business leaders.
“That was some spectacle, some beautiful scene,” Trump said during the bilateral talk. “It was so perfect, so flawlessly done. … I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like that.”
Trump’s visit marks his second state visit as president—the other was during his first term in office—and makes him the only foreign head of state to receive two official receptions, according to Lee.
Lee also honored Trump by awarding him the nation’s highest honor, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa—a first for a U.S. president—a decorative sash and medal made of gold, rubies, and other gems.
Symbolic of hibiscus, the national flower, the award is typically given to the country’s newly elected presidents and recognizes meritorious service to South Korea.
The South Korean leader praised Trump for his efforts to end wars and foster global stability.
“You are indeed a peacemaker,” Lee said. “You have been successful in bringing peace to many parts of the world, and I hope that your peacemaking skills can be applied to the Korean Peninsula,” Lee added, referring to long-standing tensions between South Korea and its northern neighbor.
The United States has long provided resources to help defend South Korea. Lee vowed to increase domestic military spending—including purchasing nuclear-powered submarines and the fuel to operate them—to reduce U.S. reliance.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un test-fired a series of missiles in the Indo-Pacific Ocean on Oct. 28, while Trump was on his Asian tour.
Trump floated a potential meeting with Kim, but on Wednesday said the “schedule was very tight.”
Lee expressed gratitude for the president’s attempts to de-escalate tensions by being open to meeting the North Korean leader.
“This time, your meeting with Chairman Kim did not happen, but I am very happy that you’re willing and open to having a dialogue with Chairman Kim,” Lee said. “The posture itself is a lot for us. … I believe that we’ve been planting good seeds for a better future.”
