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Trump becomes the first U.S. leader to visit Gyeongju National Museum

Published: 29 Oct. 2025, 15:37 Updated: 29 Oct. 2025, 18:40

The Cheonnyeon Misogwan at the Gyeongju National Museum, where President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump hold their second Korea-U.S. summit on Oct. 29 [KANG HYE-RAN]

The Gyeongju National Museum, which preserves the essence of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), serves as the venue for Wednesday’s Korea-U.S. summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump — their second bilateral meeting.

The museum in Gyeongju, South Gyeongsang is Korea’s second-largest national museum after the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, central Seoul. Its collection includes 13 National Treasures, comprised of 15 artifacts, such as the Emille Bell, also known as the Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok the Great, the golden crown found in the Cheonmachong tomb on a Gaya Confederacy (42-562)-style mounted warrior figurine.

The museum also holds 32 Treasures — separate from the National Treasures — comprised of 43 pieces, with the collection boasting a total of 301,087 artifacts as of Aug. 31.

Visitor numbers this year have already surpassed last year’s total of 1.35 million, and the museum is expected to maintain its position as the nation’s second most visited museum.

Visitors look at a Silla-era gold crown from the Hwangnamdaechong Tomb during the media day for the special exhibition of gold crowns at the Gyeongju National Museum’s Silla history gallery on Oct. 27. [NEWS1]

A view of the Gyeongju National Museum, where President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump hold their second Korea-U.S. summit on Oct. 29 [GYEONGJU NATIONAL MUSEUM]

A museum with royal roots

The museum traces its roots to the Gyeongju branch of the Governor-General Museum, established during the Japanese colonial period. After Korea’s liberation in 1945, it was re-established as the Gyeongju branch of the National Museum and moved to its current location south of Wolseong in 1975.

President Park Chung Hee attended the opening ceremony that year, when it was officially elevated to the status of a national museum.

According to the Gyeongju National Museum, Trump is the first foreign head of state to visit the museum. He is also the first U.S. leader to visit a regional museum. Previous U.S. presidents visited the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, such as Barack Obama in 2010 for the G20 Seoul Summit and Joe Biden in 2022.

President Lee, meanwhile, becomes the first Korean head of state in 50 years to officially visit the Gyeongju National Museum since President Park's appearance in 1975.

The Gyeongju National Museum in North Gyeongsang hosts a public demonstration of the Seongdeokdaewangsinjong Bell on Sept. 24. [GYEONGJU NATIONAL MUSEUM]

The summit hall: A blend of tradition and diplomacy

The meeting is taking place in Cheonnyeon Misogwan, a newly built hanok-style wooden hall on the museum grounds designed for the APEC summit. A hanok refers to a traditional Korean house.

The structure highlights traditional Korean aesthetics, with exposed timber columns, tiled eaves and rafters, and intentionally omits dancheong, or traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings, to emphasize the natural wood tones.

The venue was initially considered for the APEC leaders’ banquet but was deemed too small and lacking in amenities. The dinner was relocated to the Lahan Select Gyeongju hote. Cheonnyeon Misogwan, at 1,987 square meters (21,387.89 square feet), was retained as the Korea-U.S. summit site — ample space for a bilateral meeting.

Facing the hall is the Silla History Gallery, which currently hosts a special exhibition of Silla-era crowns to mark both the museum’s 80th anniversary and the APEC summit. Six Silla crowns — including the Geumgwanchong crown and the Cheonmachong crown — are gathered together for the first time in history and are on display through Dec. 14.

President Lee Jae Myung presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the fountain pen he used to sign the guest book during their Korea-U.S. summit at the White House in Washington on Aug. 25. [YONHAP]

The two presidents are expected to tour the exhibition before or after their talks. Separately, the presidential office said Trump will receive a specially crafted replica of a Silla gold crown as an official state gift.

Cultural experts welcomed the choice of venue, calling it a meaningful symbol of cultural diplomacy.

“Using a museum as a stage for diplomacy carries deep significance for both national stature and cultural exchange,” said a representative from the National Museum of Korea. “We hope this occasion encourages greater recognition from the government and the public of the diplomatic value and cultural role of museums.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]