Golden crown for Trump: South Korea presents country's highest decoration to US President
The Korean government will award Trump the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the highest decoration of the Korean government, in recognition of his peacemaking efforts.
South Korean President presented US President Donald Trump with a replica of a gold crown and award him with the country's highest decoration, “Grand Order of Mugunghwa.”
Trump landed in the country on Wednesday for the final leg of his trip through Asia that will include high-profile trade talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The replica of the gold crown is on display at the Gyeongju National Museum. Trump and Lee are meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The crown will symbolise the history of Silla, which maintained a long period of peace on the Korean Peninsula, news agency Bloomberg reported, citing President Lee’s office. The Korean government will also award Trump the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the highest decoration of the Korean government, in recognition of his peacemaking efforts.
Trump, who openly lobbied to be awarded the Nobel Prize, will be the first US president to be presented the Korean award. Earlier on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the White House she had submitted a nomination for Trump to win the Nobel.
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South Korea is aiming to win Trump's favour as the country is working through significant points in a trade deal with the US. The negotiation has continued for months, preventing implementation of a trade deal that would cap US tariffs on Korean goods at 15% in exchange for investments in the US.
As Trump landed in Seoul, he was welcomed by a marching band with Village People’s Y.M.C.A., a signature song from his campaign rallies.
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It remains unclear how the gift of a golden crown will reflect in the US, where a large-scale protest was staged earlier this month. The “No Kings” protest was against Trump's expansive use of executive power.
In February, Trump generated controversy when he posted to social media a fake magazine cover that showed him wearing a crown, celebrating his move to block congestion pricing in Manhattan.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
