The presidential office said on the 30th that U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting Korea to attend the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in Gyeongju and the South Korea-U.S. summit, gave President Lee Jae-myung a baseball bat and a baseball as gifts. After our government awarded the Grand Order of Mugunghwa to President Trump ahead of the summit and presented a "Cheonmachong Tomb gold crown model," the U.S. side offered a gift that signifies the "cultural bond between South Korea and the United States."
According to presidential office Spokesperson Kim Nam-joon, the baseball bat that President Trump gifted to President Lee the previous day bears the autograph of Washington Nationals player Dylan Crews. The baseball carries President Trump's seal. The U.S. side said it "symbolizes the deep cultural bond and shared values of the two countries, rooted in the history of American missionaries first introducing baseball to Korea."
Earlier, President Lee presented President Trump with a model of the "Cheonmachong Tomb gold crown," a symbol of Gyeongju. It is a gold-plated piece crafted by cultural heritage replication expert Kim Jin-bae, head of Samseonbang, and was specially made in consideration of Trump's preference for "gold." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the Cheonmachong Tomb gold crown "symbolizes the sacredness that consolidates the authority of heaven with rule on earth, and the strong leadership and authority of a leader."
They also said it symbolizes the "golden age of the alliance," in line with the Lee Jae-myung administration's policy that has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Hearing the explanation, President Trump said, "It is so beautiful. I want to put it on right away. I will always cherish it." The presidential office said, "For President Trump, who visited Gyeongju as a state guest, we prepared a gold crown as a gift symbolizing the golden age of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, along with Silla's spirit that first brought peace to the Korean Peninsula."
The "custom gold crown for Trump" drew foreign media attention as it coincided with "No kings" protests in the United States. The protests, denouncing Trump's authoritarian governing style, spread across the country. However, foreign media also reported that, in addition to Korea, countries such as Japan that have engaged in tariff negotiations with the United States likewise prepared gifts—such as gold golf balls and trophies—carefully considering President Trump's "love of gold."