By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

 

President Lee Jae-myung presented the highest order of honor to US President Donald Trump during his state visit to South Korea on October 29, along with a replica of a gold crown.

 

President Lee demonstrated the highest level of courtesy and meticulous hospitality, demonstrating the government's commitment to strengthening the relationship with President Trump and the ROK-US alliance.

 

 

President Lee presented the Grand Order of Mugunghwa to President Trump following an official welcoming ceremony held at the Gyeongju National Museum, the venue for the ROK-US summit, which included an honor guard inspection and an exchange of greetings between delegations.

 

President Trump is the first US president to receive this decoration.

 

During their summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, President Lee asked U.S. President Donald Trump to allow South Korea to secure fuel for nuclear-powered submarines and vowed to increase defense spending to bolster the nation's military capabilities.

 

 

"I hope you will make a decision to allow us to have supply for nuclear-powered submarines," Lee said, asking Trump to instruct his administration to advance consultations on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing.

 

Lee said diesel-powered submarines have limited underwater navigation capabilities, restricting the South Korean military's ability to track North Korean or Chinese submarines. He emphasized that his request is not aimed at building nuclear-armed submarines.

 

"If fuel supply is permitted, we can build several submarines equipped with conventional weapons using our own technology to defend the waters around the Korean Peninsula, ultimately reducing the burden on U.S. forces," he said.

 

 

Lee also asked Trump to instruct his administration to advance consultations on revising the bilateral nuclear pact on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment.

 

Currently, South Korea is allowed to enrich uranium below 20 percent only with U.S. consent and is prohibited from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.

 

He also pledged efforts to upgrade the alliance into a "future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance" through "modernization," saying his government will increase the defense budget as part of the efforts.

 

Lee further reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to support Trump's initiatives to revive the U.S. manufacturing industry through expanded investment and purchases in the U.S.

 

"We will actively strengthen cooperation in shipbuilding, which will not only benefit both of our economies but also contribute greatly to making the alliance more practical and robust," he said.

 

South Korea has proposed an initiative, the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) project, to help rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding industry, as part of its US$350 billion investment pledge tied to a trade deal reached in July.