Trump Attends Special Summit Dinner Hosted by President Lee
Cola Beside Dinner Wine Draws Attention
Consideration for the 'Abstainer and Cola Enthusiast'
Dinner Wine Provided by Winery Operated by Trump's Son
At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ dinner hosted by President Lee Jaemyung on the 29th, a glass of cola was placed alongside the dinner wine at U.S. President Donald Trump’s table, drawing attention. This was a considerate gesture for his well-known abstinence from alcohol.
President Lee Jae-myung listens to the congratulatory speech by U.S. President Donald Trump at the special summit dinner hosted by President Lee on the 29th at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News
In the video of the special summit dinner held at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, on the same day, other leaders took sips of the dinner wine in response to President Lee’s toast. However, President Trump, after raising his wine glass to his lips, appeared to barely drink any before setting it back on the table. Instead, a glass of cola placed beside him became a topic of conversation.
President Trump is known for his strict abstinence from alcohol. His older brother, Fred, suffered from alcoholism and passed away in 1981 at the young age of 43. In the past, President Trump told reporters, “I had an older brother named Fred, the best-looking and nicest guy in the world, but he had a problem with alcohol,” adding, “He always told me, ‘Don’t drink.’”
On the other hand, President Trump’s fondness for cola is well known. He is reported to eat four hamburgers in one meal and drink up to twelve glasses of cola a day. During his first term in office, a red button was installed on his desk in the Oval Office at the White House to request cola. When he pressed the red button, a staff member would bring him a chilled glass of cola.
The cola he most frequently drinks is “zero cola” (diet cola), and the U.S. side reportedly requested that the hotel where President Trump would be staying prepare all varieties of his preferred cola ahead of his visit to Korea. However, as diet cola with a silver label is difficult to find domestically, it is said that the U.S. delegation brought it themselves.
According to the presidential office, the dinner that evening featured a premium Western course meal, including Yeongwol Ogol chicken and truffle dumplings, Gyeongju Thousand-Year Korean beef sirloin, Gyeongju Namsan pine mushrooms, Guryongpo flatfish, and caviar farmed in Jirisan. The dinner wine was Trump Chardonnay and Trump Cabernet Sauvignon, produced by the winery operated by President Trump’s son, Eric Trump.
In addition to President Trump, the leaders of Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand, and Singapore attended the dinner. In his welcoming remarks, President Lee stated, “It is highly meaningful to be together with President Trump, who is on a state visit to Korea, as well as with the United States’ allies and friendly nations,” emphasizing, “As crises become more complex globally, solidarity and cooperation among friendly nations are more important than ever.”
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