Donald Trump, the President of the United States, reportedly delayed his speech at a reception he hosted for world leaders to accommodate a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during the United Nations General Assembly.
The two leaders discussed the possibility of a golf meeting in Miami, while Melania Trump showed special consideration by waiting for Kim Hye-kyung before taking a group photo.
According to a Blue House official, the Korea-U.S. summit held in New York on September 22 was initially scheduled to last about 10 minutes, starting at 7:20 p.m. local time, as Trump was set to deliver a speech at the reception at 7:30 p.m.
President Lee arrived early at the reception, engaging with other world leaders before moving to a separate area to begin discussions with Trump. However, the conversation continued well beyond the planned 10 minutes, despite signals from U.S. protocol officials indicating that Trump needed to head to the speech venue. Trump chose to extend the meeting instead.
Ultimately, the meeting lasted approximately 30 minutes, extending until 7:50 p.m., and Trump’s speech began around 8 p.m., 30 minutes later than scheduled. By postponing his speech, Trump prioritized his conversation with President Lee.
The discussion reportedly began and ended with golf. When President Lee mentioned a potential visit to Miami for a golf outing, Trump instructed his aide, Suzy Wiles, to check available dates and times.
Trump has consistently expressed interest in golf during his meetings with President Lee, although specific dates for the golf outing have yet to be confirmed.
Melania Trump also demonstrated special consideration during a luncheon for spouses of world leaders, arriving at the venue earlier than expected at 12:27 p.m., while Kim Hye-kyung arrived at the scheduled time of 12:50 p.m.
Melania reportedly refrained from taking a group photo with other spouses until Kim arrived, and she made a point to give her seat to Kim during the photo session.
The White House emphasized that South Korea is the first partner to join Melania Trump’s initiative for a 'Future Together for Families' (FTFT) and is a significant and valued ally. Upon Kim’s arrival, other spouses also extended their warm welcome, and individual photo sessions followed the group photo.
President Lee and Kim returned to South Korea via Seongnam Seoul Airport around 8 p.m. after attending the UN General Assembly in New York and a state visit to Mexico.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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