Trump receives South Korea’s highest honour during Gyeongju visit

U.S. President Donald Trump was awarded the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, South Korea’s highest state decoration, during a visit to the National Museum in Gyeongju on October 29.

Trump is the first U.S. president to receive the prestigious award, which the South Korean presidential office said recognises his “contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“This is really beautiful,” Trump remarked as he examined the award, adding with a smile, “I can wear it right now,” prompting laughter from the audience.

The ceremony took place in Gyeongju, the former capital of the medieval Silla kingdom (57 B.C.–935 A.D.). The South Korean administration noted that the gift—a replica of the Golden Crown of Cheonmachong—symbolises the Silla kingdom’s legacy of long-lasting peace on the peninsula. Officials expressed hope that the United States would play a role in establishing a new era of peace in the region.

The replica crown was specifically selected to align with Trump’s aesthetic preferences, while the original Golden Crown of Cheonmachong remains preserved in Gyeongju’s National Museum.

By Vugar Khalilov