【Text by Observer Net, Chen Sijia】A South Korean government official recently revealed that U.S. President Trump is expected to visit South Korea for two days at the end of this month. According to an article from the JoongAng Daily on October 19, the South Korean presidential office is considering awarding Trump the "Order of Merit for National Foundation," which is the highest honor in South Korea.
The plan for Trump's visit to South Korea has not been officially confirmed, but on the 16th, South Korean National Security Advisor Choi Young-jin disclosed that Trump might visit South Korea from October 29 to 30. On October 19, the South Korean presidential office released a statement saying: "We are maintaining close communication with the U.S. side and carefully reviewing the schedule and honors to ensure the effectiveness of this visit."
There are reports that the South Korean government is considering presenting Trump with the Order of Merit for National Foundation. In response, a South Korean presidential office official said: "There have been similar cases in the past, and we are currently studying it."
South Korean Order of Merit for National Foundation, screenshot from a Korean media video
The Hankyoreh Daily pointed out that the Order of Merit for National Foundation is the highest level honor in South Korea, awarded domestically to former presidents and first ladies, and used for diplomatic exchanges where medals are exchanged. For example, in 2018, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in presented the Order of Merit for National Foundation to French President Macron.
The Donga Ilbo stated that as the highest-level medal, the Order of Merit for National Foundation is made of precious metals and is embedded with gold, silver, rubies, and amethysts. It is estimated that the cost of making a set of medals is about 70 million won (approximately RMB 350,000).
Public records show that South Korea has never awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation to a U.S. president before.
Trump had previously expressed his desire to receive an honor. In August 2019, during a speech, Trump revealed that he once tried to award himself the U.S. military's highest honor, the Medal of Honor, but eventually gave up after being persuaded by his aides.
August 25, U.S. President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met at the White House, IC photo
South Korea has reached a trade agreement with the United States, under which the U.S. agreed to reduce its 25% tariff on South Korean goods to 15%, but required South Korea to invest 35 billion U.S. dollars in the U.S. There are still differences between the two countries regarding specific investment plans, with the U.S. demanding that South Korea "almost entirely invest in cash," while South Korea believes this demand "exceeds what South Korea can afford."
However, Kim Yong-bum, director of the policy office of the South Korean presidential office, revealed on the 19th that substantial progress has been made on most key issues.
The Donga Ilbo reported that South Korea has proposed establishing a 35 billion U.S. dollar investment fund, using a combination of loans and guarantees, to be invested over 10 years. Kim Yong-bum said that negotiations are ongoing, and "the two sides have already reached a fairly close position under the premise of ensuring that the project is affordable in South Korea and mutually beneficial."
He believes that the possibility of finalizing the agreement during the APEC meeting has increased.
During Trump's visit to South Korea, the APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting will be held in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju, from October 31 to November 1. During his visit to South Korea, whether Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has become a topic of widespread attention.
CNN reported on the 18th, citing informed sources, that U.S. government officials had privately discussed plans to arrange a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un during his Asia trip. However, the informed sources said that U.S. officials have not yet initiated any substantive logistical planning for the meeting, and there has been no communication between the U.S. and North Korea, so many people remain skeptical about whether the meeting will ultimately take place.
This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.
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