Trump Presents Signed Baseball Bat to President Lee [Gyeongju APEC]

Baseball equipment gifted by U.S. President Donald Trump to President Lee Jae-myung. A baseball bat and ball signed by Dylan Cruz, a player of the Washington Nationals. Photo by the Presidential Office

Kim Namjun, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, announced on October 30 that U.S. President Donald Trump presented President Lee Jaemyung with a baseball bat and ball stamped with a special seal during their summit in Gyeongju.

Spokesperson Kim explained, "The baseball bat features the autograph of Dylan Cruz, a player for the Washington Nationals, while the baseball bears President Trump's seal."

The U.S. side stated that these gifts symbolize the deep cultural ties and shared values between South Korea and the United States, rooted in the history of American missionaries introducing baseball to Korea for the first time.

Prior to the summit, President Lee presented President Trump with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa and a model of the Gyeongju gold crown. It was reported that President Trump expressed his intention to personally take these gifts back on Air Force One, rather than having them shipped by the Korean side.