Trump Arrives in Gimhae, Boards Marine One for Gyeongju... South Korea-U.S. Summit Scheduled for Afternoon [Gyeongju APEC]

Grand Order of Mugunghwa Awarded...
Special Golden Crown Replica Presented
Second U.S.-Korea Summit
All Eyes on the U.S.-China Summit

On October 29, 2025, at approximately 11:35 a.m., U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at Gimhae International Airport aboard Air Force One. President Trump will transfer to the presidential helicopter Marine One to travel to Gyeongju, officially commencing his state visit to South Korea. This marks his first visit since the launch of his second administration, and it is the third time for a sitting U.S. president to visit in this capacity.

Yonhap News Agency

From the Korean side, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyungwha welcomed him at the airport, while the U.S. side was represented by Kevin Kim, Acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, and Xavier Brunson, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea, among others.

President Trump will begin his official schedule in Gyeongju by meeting with global business leaders immediately upon arrival. According to the schedule released by the White House the previous day, President Trump will deliver a special address at the luncheon of the "2025 APEC CEO Summit," an official side event of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju.

Later in the afternoon, President Trump and President Lee Jaemyung will hold their second Korea-U.S. summit, which will also serve as a luncheon. The presidential office announced that they plan to discuss the overall direction of the Korea-U.S. alliance, including cooperation on trade, investment, and economic security, the modernization of the alliance, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Prior to the summit, both leaders will attend an official welcome ceremony at the Gyeongju National Museum, engaging in a schedule of friendship between the two heads of state. President Lee will present President Trump with a specially crafted model of a golden crown and confer upon him the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, Korea's highest honor.

That evening, President Lee and President Trump will also host a "Special Presidential Dinner." Leaders from Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand, Singapore, and other countries will be in attendance.

On the following day, October 30, the much-anticipated U.S.-China summit is scheduled to take place. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the start of Trump's second administration. Observers note that the direction of trade negotiations set by the two leaders in this summit could have a significant impact on the global economic order.