White House Posts Photos of South Korea-U.S. Summit on Social Media
Photo of Leaders Viewing "Trump Merchandise" Mugshot Draws Attention
As photos related to the South Korea-U.S. summit were posted on the official social networking service (SNS) accounts of the White House, a T-shirt featuring former mugshot photos of President Donald Trump drew particular attention.
President Donald Trump (left) and President Lee Jae-myung are seen conversing while looking at Trump merchandise displayed in a corner of the National Gyeongju Museum, the venue for their summit on the 28th. Photo by White House X
On the 29th (local time), the White House posted photos related to the summit on its X (formerly Twitter) account, concluding with an image of President Trump and President Lee Jaemyung together in front of so-called "Trump merchandise." The background of the photo included a variety of Trump-themed items, such as a "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) hat, a photo book, a Bible, and Korean translations of books authored by President Trump and the First Lady.
Among these, the highlight was a photo of the two leaders conversing in front of a T-shirt emblazoned with President Trump's mugshot and the phrase "NEVER SURRENDER!" In the image, President Lee is seen pointing toward the T-shirt and saying something to President Trump, who is gazing at his own photo on the shirt. A "MAGA" hat is also displayed above the T-shirt.
This particular photo was taken when President Trump appeared before prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, in 2023, during the Biden administration. Indicted on charges of exerting pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, President Trump became the first former president to have a mugshot taken.
At the time, after being released on bail, former President Trump immediately posted the mugshot photo to his X account, along with the phrases "Election Interference" and "NEVER SURRENDER." In addition, the Trump campaign promptly uploaded the mugshot to its fundraising website to solicit donations.
Ultimately, the mugshot has become a historic image in President Trump's political journey, alongside the photo of him raising his fist under the Stars and Stripes after being shot in the ear during last year's presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, according to a briefing by presidential spokesperson Kim Namjoon on the afternoon of the 30th, President Trump referred to President Lee and South Korea as "the leader and country that negotiated tariffs the best." President Trump also repeatedly told President Lee, "Let me know anytime if you need anything," and "What do you need?" He added, "You should be proud of yourself. I am proud of you, too." After the summit, President Lee reportedly told his aides, "We need to strengthen our national power," and expressed his thoughts that "President Trump is an outstanding negotiator," according to spokesperson Kim.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
