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Lee, Trump, Xi showcase diplomatic ties with cultural gifts during APEC

Published: 02 Nov. 2025, 18:40

President Lee Jae Myung, right, shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after gifting him a replica of a Silla-era gold crown at the Gyeongju National Museum in North Gyeongsang ahead of their bilateral summit on Oct. 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping both visited Korea for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and held separate meetings with President Lee Jae Myung. While both leaders spent extended time with Lee in bilateral talks, the details of their engagements differed notably.

Lee and Trump held a summit on Wednesday, two days before the APEC meeting, at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang. The meeting, including an expanded luncheon, lasted 87 minutes from 2:39 p.m. to 4:06 p.m. That evening, the two dined together again for about two hours at a leaders’ dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju. Trump departed the following day, having spent roughly 207 minutes with Lee over his two-day stay.

During the summit, Lee wore a golden tie patterned with hangul details, while Trump wore a blue tie. Observers noted that Lee appeared to consider Trump’s fondness for the color gold, while Trump’s choice of blue aligned with the color associated with the ruling Democratic Party.

Xi spent one additional day in Korea, and accordingly, his total time with Lee was longer. On Thursday, Lee welcomed Xi at 10:02 a.m. at the HICO convention center, the main venue for the APEC summit. The two leaders participated in both the first and second sessions of the summit on Friday and Saturday, each lasting about two hours. They also attended a 2.5-hour official dinner on Thursday at the Lahan Select Gyeongju.

On Saturday, Lee and Xi held a 97-minute bilateral summit from 3:48 p.m. to 5:25 p.m., followed by another two-hour social gathering and dinner at the Sono Calm Hotel. In total, they spent approximately 607 minutes together over three days. Xi, who wore a red tie during the Friday summit sessions, switched to a blue tie for the bilateral summit — matching Lee, who also wore blue.

This photo provided by the Korean presidential office shows the menu served during the luncheon between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju on Oct. 29. From left to right: a seafood appetizer, a main dish made with Gyeongju rice and U.S. beef short ribs and a citrus dessert decorated with the lettering ″PEACE.″ [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Peace for Trump, 33 years of diplomatic ties for Xi

The table at the Korea-U.S. summit luncheon on Wednesday featured peace lilies. A dessert plate inscribed with “Peace” was also presented — an apparent nod to Trump’s reputation as a dealmaker in conflict zones and an effort to underscore the U.S. role in addressing North Korea issues. The appetizer featured shrimp from Sinan served with Thousand Island dressing — symbolizing Trump’s New York success story — followed by braised short ribs and gold-dusted brownies, the latter seemingly chosen as another nod toward Trump's well-known love of the color.

During the leaders’ dinner that evening at the Hilton Hotel, Trump was seated to Lee’s left, effectively taking the place of the guest of honor. The menu included dishes such as sirloin from Cheonnyeon Hanwoo and farmed flounder from Guryongpo. At the state dinner hosted for Xi on Saturday at the Sono Calm Hotel, dishes included stir-fried abalone in mala (Chinese spice popular in Korea) sauce and sweet-and-spicy Korean fried chicken. The presidential office said the menu was meant to symbolize friendship and harmony, combining mala with fried chicken, a Korean dish popular in China.

The meal continued with grilled natural pine mushrooms and tteokgalbi (short rib patties), followed by a trio of traditional sweets and fruit to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Mengzhilan, one of Xi’s favored liquors, was served as the dinner drink.

On Friday, Lee and Xi also sat side by side at the APEC welcome dinner at the Lahan Select Hotel. That meal featured a mix of Korean and Western dishes, including vegetable bibimbap, braised galbi (short ribs) and caramel desserts.

President Lee Jae Myung, second from left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, smile as they exchange gifts after their summit meeting on the sidelines of the APEC gathering in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang on Nov. 1. [YONHAP]

A gold crown and a Go board for personal preferences

Before their summit, Lee presented Trump with a replica of the gold crown from Cheonmachong and awarded him the Grand Order of Mugunghwa — the highest honor awarded by Korea.

“This is a gift expressing the gratitude and respect of the Korean people,” Lee said as he handed over the crown. Trump replied, “That was really something. Very special.” According to the presidential office, the gift had initially been scheduled to be delivered separately by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but Trump reportedly insisted on taking it aboard Air Force One himself.

In return, Trump presented Lee with a baseball bat and ball — the bat signed by Washington Nationals player Dylan Crews and the ball engraved with Trump’s presidential seal. U.S. officials said the gift symbolized the longstanding cultural ties and shared values between Korea and the United States, referencing the history of American missionaries introducing baseball to Korea.

For Xi, Lee presented a traditional Go board made of fragrant juniper wood and a round lacquer tray inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The choice reflected both leaders’ known interest in the game and referenced a Go stone set gifted during Xi’s 2014 visit to Korea. The presidential office said the gift expressed a wish for the Korea-China relationship to unfold beautifully like a game of Go and emphasized both countries’ leadership roles in the international Go community.

Xi responded with two Xiaomi smartphones and a calligraphy set made of jade, including a brush and ink stone. A Chinese official pointed to the phones and said, “The display is made in Korea.” When Lee jokingly asked, “Is it secure for communications?” Xi laughed and replied, “You should check for backdoors.”

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 SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]