U.S. President Donald Trump visited Korea on the 29th. President Trump will hold a second summit with President Lee Jae-myung.

Air Force One carrying President Trump arrived at Busan Gimhae International Airport at about 11:35 a.m. that day. President Trump came to Korea in the form of a state visit. A state visit is the highest class among visits by foreign leaders and is accorded the highest level of protocol.

At around 11:45 a.m., after disembarking, he exchanged a brief conversation while shaking hands with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who had come to greet him. President Trump also shook hands with Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha; Hong Ji-pyo, Director-General for North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Kevin Kim, the U.S. Charg d'Affaires ad interim in Korea. He then boarded Marine One, his dedicated helicopter, and departed for Gyeongju.

According to the Presidential Office, President Trump will visit the Gyeongju National Museum as the first official event of the state visit. He will enter led and escorted by a traditional military band. President Lee will greet President Trump in front of the Cheonnyeonmiso Hall. The two will move into the museum together to sign the guest book and, while looking around the ‘Trump goods’ exhibition, will have a friendly conversation.

The two leaders will review the honor guard together at the official welcome ceremony. Next, President Trump will be awarded the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the highest order of the Korean government. The Presidential Office said, “This is to recognize the achievements of President Trump in realizing peace on the Korean Peninsula and to ask that he continue his role as a ‘peacemaker’.”

President Lee and President Trump will view the Silla gold crown on display at the museum. President Lee will present President Trump with a model of the ‘Cheonmachong gold crown’. The Presidential Office said, “Along with the history of Silla, which maintained a long era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, it symbolizes a new era of peaceful coexistence and joint growth on the Korean Peninsula that the ROK and U.S. will build together.”

Afterward, the two leaders will begin talks over lunch. The Presidential Office said they plan to discuss the overall direction of the ROK-U.S. Alliance, including cooperation on trade, investment, and economic security, modernization of the alliance, and peace on the Korean Peninsula. The lunch venue will be decorated with ‘peace lily’ flowers that convey the meaning of peace. The Presidential Office said, “We hope that the efforts of President Trump for international peace will blossom on the Korean Peninsula as well.”

Lunch will begin with an appetizer featuring Thousand Island dressing, symbolizing a ‘success story’ from the hometown of President Trump, New York. A ‘three-course Korean menu’ will be prepared with rice cooked from newly harvested Gyeongju rice and seasonal ingredients from across the country as well as local specialties. The Presidential Office said it was tailored to the preferences of President Trump. The lunch will conclude with a golden-hued dessert. The Presidential Office said, “This expresses a wish for the heyday of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and for peace,” and added, “The meal embodies the long-standing alliance and trust between the two countries and their intent for future cooperation.”

President Lee and President Trump will also hold a special leaders dinner that evening. President Lee is expected to emphasize that, amid a changing international situation, cooperation among countries in the region is more important than ever and to express an intent for South Korea to play an active bridging role between regional technology leaders and emerging market countries. Leaders from Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand, Singapore, and other countries will attend.

The Presidential Office said, “The attending leaders are expected to exchange free and open views on the theme of economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.” It added, “Through this dinner, the government seeks to further elevate its standing as a core ally of the United States and its role as an ‘agenda setter’ leading discussions on regional cooperation.”

Regarding the current visit by President Trump, the Presidential Office said, “It carries the meaning of completing reciprocal ROK-U.S. leader visits in the shortest period since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, at 147 days,” and added, “President Trump will be recorded as the first foreign guest to make two state visits to Korea.”