U.S. President Donald Trump received a warm welcome in South Korea on Wednesday with a replica gold crown and was presented with the “Grand Order of Mugunghwa”, the country’s highest decoration, the presidential office shared.
President Trump arrived in South Korea on the final stop of his trip to Asia, which also includes a visit to Malaysia and Japan. He is expected to have important trade talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
President Lee is hopeful to secure trade concessions from Washington in ongoing talks to reduce tariffs on South Korean goods. He also praised Trump for his efforts for peace in North Korea.
According to South Korea’s presidential office, the government has awarded Trump with “Grand Order of Mugunghwa”, for bringing peace in the Korean peninsula. The award is named after the country’s national flower, a pink hibiscus also known as the Rose of Sharon in English.
“I’d like to wear it right now,” Trump said after receiving the award from the South Korean government. An official from the government confirmed that Trump was the first president to receive this award.
President Trump on Wednesday also expressed his intentions to meet North Korean President Kim Jong Un, but North Korea has not responded yet to Trump’s offer.
Lee wore a custom-made gold-coloured tie, which his office said “reflects President Trump’s taste for gold, captures the golden future of the South Korea-US alliance and the status of South Korea.”
