Trump arrives in Korea for summit with Lee in Gyeongju

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House in Washington, Aug. 25. Reuters-Yonhap

By Anna J. Park

• Published Oct 29, 2025 9:46 AM KST
• Updated Oct 29, 2025 1:24 PM KST

President Lee to confer South Korea’s highest national order to Trump

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — A highly anticipated summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump is set to take place Wednesday afternoon at Gyeongju National Museum, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit being held in the city, as Trump arrived here.

According to the presidential office, Trump’s visit is classified as a state visit to Korea. He arrived at Gimhae International Airport in Busan at around 11:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, where he was greeted with a formal welcoming ceremony that included an honor guard inspection and a 21-gun salute. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha were among the officials who welcomed the U.S. president upon his arrival.

The presidential office noted that the visit marks reciprocal visits between the two leaders within 147 days since the start of the Lee administration, a record-short time span. Trump also becomes the first foreign head of state to make two state visits to Korea.

Upon arriving in Busan, President Trump boarded his official helicopter, Marine One, bound for Gyeongju — located about 80 kilometers from the port city — where he delivered keynote remarks at the APEC CEO Summit during a luncheon held at the Gyeongju Arts Center.

Following the luncheon, Trump is scheduled to move to the Gyeongju National Museum, the venue for the Korea–U.S. summit. The first official event will be a tour of the museum, during which Trump, accompanied by a traditional royal guard procession, will be greeted by President Lee. The two leaders will then proceed inside to sign the guestbook and view an exhibition of Trump-related memorabilia, where they are expected to hold a brief one-on-one conversation.

During the ensuing official welcoming ceremony, the two presidents will review the honor guard and greet members of both delegations.

Following the introductions, Lee will confer upon Trump Korea’s highest national order, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, in recognition of his contributions to peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Korean presidential office explained. It is the first such decoration ever bestowed upon a U.S. president.

After the ceremony, the two leaders will tour an exhibition featuring the iconic Silla-era golden crown. Lee will present Trump with a replica of the crown, symbolizing a new era of peace, coexistence and shared prosperity that both nations seek to promote. The gift draws inspiration from the Silla Kingdom’s long era of stability.

The expanded summit luncheon will include key cabinet members from both sides and cover a wide range of topics including trade, investment and economic security cooperation, alliance modernization, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee will later host a presidential leaders’ dinner at 6:30 p.m. to welcome Trump and the visiting leaders of seven other nations attending the APEC summit. Participants will include the heads of state from the U.S., Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand and Singapore. The leaders are expected to engage in an open discussion on economic cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region.

“President Trump’s state visit is expected to further strengthen the trust built between the two leaders during President Lee’s trip to Washington in August, while serving as an opportunity to produce tangible results in comprehensive cooperation across various fields,” an official at the presidential office said.