On the 25th (local time), President Lee Jae-myung presented President Donald Trump with a commemorative pen used when signing the White House guestbook, a metal turtle ship symbolizing the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation project 'MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again)'.
The Presidential Office released the details and photos of the 'summit gifts' that day. President Lee prepared three gifts to commemorate this Korea-U.S. summit, including a handcrafted metal turtle ship by a master craftsman, a custom-made putter, and a hat. President Trump expressed interest in the signing pen, which was then added to the gifts on the spot.
The metal turtle ship prepared by President Lee was crafted by Oh Jeong-chul, a master from HD Hyundai. It represents the history of Korea's shipbuilding industry and seems to symbolize the cooperation of the 'MASGA' project. The Presidential Office explained, "We wanted to showcase the excellence of Korean shipbuilding technology, which encompasses both tradition and modernity."
Considering President Trump's love for golf, a custom-made putter from Korea was also prepared. In November 2016, Shinzo Abe, then the Prime Minister of Japan, also presented President Trump with Japan-made Honma golf clubs. The Presidential Office stated, "The putter was made in Korea to fit President Trump's physique." The putter is engraved with President Trump's name and his term numbers '45, 47'.
A 'cowboy hat' embossed with President Trump's political slogan 'MAGA (Make America Great Again)' was also prepared. The hat, made in red, symbolizing President Trump, was designed for him, while the white one was made for Mrs. Melania. The Presidential Office explained, "Although President Trump loves his MAGA hats, he has never worn a cowboy MAGA hat, so it was specially designed."
The commemorative pen used by President Lee when signing the White House guestbook was also presented as a gift on the spot. President Trump showed interest in President Lee's pen, saying, "Where was this made? I really like the thickness. It's very nice." Then, when President Trump jokingly asked, "Will you be taking it back?", President Lee gestured with both hands for him to keep it, saying, "It's made in Korea. It will be useful for the difficult signatures you have to make."
It is reported that this pen was painstakingly crafted over two months. It features an easy-to-sign nib, and the pen case is engraved with the Taeguk symbol and a phoenix, according to the Presidential Office.