SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, carrying more than just diplomatic goodwill — he left with a pen from U.S. President Donald Trump and what appears to be a standing golf invitation.
Lee attended the summit as an invited partner and said Thursday that he and Trump sat down for an extended conversation during the leaders’ dinner.
“We had an in-depth conversation for about 90 minutes about peace on the Korean peninsula and South Korea-U.S. relations, and made significant progress,” Lee wrote on X.
The following day, Trump handed Lee the pen he had been using to sign documents at the summit. Lee noted the gesture mirrored their first summit, when Trump had received a pen from Lee.
The golf topic also came up during the dinner, with Trump reportedly raising it not once but twice. Lee said he initially brushed it off.
“I thought it was just a passing remark, but it seems I should prepare,” Lee said.
Lee recounted that Trump expressed interest in playing golf with both him and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, and that the promise became something of a formal commitment.
“He said he would play golf with my wife and me, and my wife even sealed the promise by hooking fingers,” Lee said. “Then, after today’s luncheon, he again said we should definitely play golf together.”
During a group photo session earlier at the summit, Lee asked Trump to take the initiative in working toward a peaceful resolution to ongoing tensions with North Korea, according to Lee’s office.
The presidential Blue House also said the two leaders talked about areas of mutual economic benefit, including shipbuilding, and agreed on the value of continued cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
Relations between Seoul and Washington have generally been strong, though they have faced occasional friction in recent years over issues including U.S. tariffs and how to divide the costs of maintaining a shared defense.
Trump referred to Lee as a “strong leader,” according to Lee’s office.
