Overview
- Xi Jinping met newly elected President Lee Jae Myung in Gyeongju on the sidelines of the APEC forum, marking Xi’s first trip to South Korea in over a decade.
- The main gift was a high-end Go board crafted from Torreya nucifera wood native to Jeju Island, with the presidential office naming domestic maker 6 Brothers.
- Lee also presented a traditional lacquered tray inlaid with mother-of-pearl produced using a thousand-year-old Korean craft technique.
- Seoul said the Go-themed gift reflected personal interests, noting both Lee and Xi are enthusiasts of the strategy game.
- The presentation followed Lee’s recent gift to U.S. President Donald Trump of a Silla-era crown replica and the Grand Order of Mugunghwa.