President Lee Accepts Trump's Golf Invitation; Receives Signature Pen as Gift

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has accepted an invitation from former U.S. President Donald Trump for a golf match, signaling a potentially friendly relationship between the two leaders. Lee announced the upcoming golf outing via his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after concluding a 9-day European tour. He stated that Trump had invited him and his wife for a round of golf during a dinner meeting and reiterated the invitation at a lunch the following day.

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When we talked about golf at dinner yesterday, he said he would play golf with our couple, and my wife got his promise by hooking her finger. Today, as we parted after lunch, he said again that we should definitely play golf together.

Lee expressed his intention to prepare for the golf game, thanking Trump for his "special interest." He shared a selfie taken with Trump during the dinner, highlighting the positive interaction. The two leaders had a lengthy conversation, reportedly lasting about 90 minutes, during the official G7 summit dinner on the previous day, discussing Korean Peninsula peace and the bilateral relationship. Trump's repeated invitation for a golf game suggests a personal rapport developing between them.

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I thought it was just a passing remark, but I think I need to prepare. I am grateful to President Trump for his special interest.

In addition to the golf invitation, Lee revealed that Trump gifted him a signature pen. Lee recalled a similar instance during their meeting in Washington D.C. last August, where he had gifted Trump a pen he was using. Lee speculated that Trump's gesture might have been a reciprocal act, remembering the pen he received from Lee during their first summit.

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During dinner with President Trump yesterday evening, we had in-depth discussions about peace on the Korean Peninsula and Korea-U.S. relations for about 90 minutes, and there was significant progress.

The interactions between Lee and Trump underscore a potentially evolving dynamic in U.S.-South Korea relations, at least on a personal level between the current South Korean president and the former U.S. leader. The emphasis on a "strong and eternal" relationship between the two nations, as stated by Lee, appears to be reinforced by these personal exchanges.

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He gave me the signature pen he had been using as a gift. Perhaps it's because he remembers receiving the pen I used as a gift during our first summit.