A wave of satire on American late-night television over South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s gift of a replica Silla-era gold crown to US President Donald Trump has provoked strong reactions in the country, highlighting lingering sensitivities amid recent strains in the alliance over tariffs and labour issues.
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The ornate replica crown, presented during the South Korea-US talks on Wednesday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province, quickly attracted attention from American comedy and talk show hosts.
“We have been trying real hard over here to gently steer our president away from the whole king thing,” Desi Lydic, one of the hosts of The Daily Show, said.
“And then you come along, hey President Trump, check out this cool crown. Try it on. Take it home with you. Not helping!”
Trump gifted gold crown in South Korea
Trump gifted gold crown in South Korea
On ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, host Kimmel said: “I guess they saw millions of us marching to say ‘We didn’t want a king!’ and thought, ‘Hey, great idea for a gift, a bejewelled crown.’ It’s so embarrassing how easy he is to manipulate. Maybe he could just stay there and be king of South Korea.”
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