When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stepped into the West Wing of the White House on Monday, he hardly expected a signing pen to steal the spotlight from a summit designed to reset ties with his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
Yet a casual exchange over a thick brown fountain pen ended up driving shares of Monami Co., Korea’s best-known stationery brand, to the daily limit-up in Seoul trading, although the company didn’t make the pen.
Lee signed a guest book before entering the Oval Office for talks with Trump, and the handcrafted wooden fountain pen he used caught the US leader’s eye.
The golf putter custom-made by Gold five for Donald Trump. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung gave it Trump as a gift
“Nice pen. Is it yours? Do you want to take it with you?” Trump said, drawing laughter in the room. “I like it. The writing is beautiful, the thickness.”
Lee smiled and replied,” It’s Korean.” The president then gestured that Trump should keep it. “It would be an honor,” he added.
The US president, who previously said he didn’t like ballpoints, is known for the bold, thick strokes of his signature.
The gift was unplanned.
Zenyle is the penmaker that made the pen used by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to sign the White House guest book
Lee’s aides later clarified that the pen was not an official diplomatic present but a custom-made writing instrument prepared for the Korean president’s own ceremonial use.
WINDFALL GAINS FOR MONAMI
The exchange sent shares of Korean penmaker Monami soaring on Tuesday, even though it didn’t make the pen used at the White House.
Shares in the company, a household name that has produced pens for more than six decades, closed up by the daily limit high of 30% at 2,575 won. On Wednesday morning in Seoul, the stock was trading 13% higher, outperforming the Kospi benchmark index’s 0.1% fall.
A signing pen, made by Genyle, which South Korean President Lee Jae Myung gave Donald Trump as a gift
Zenyle Corp., a domestic brand specializing in handcrafted pens, confirmed that it had made the pen used by Lee and coveted by Trump.
Following Trump’s compliment, Zenyle said it is receiving “overwhelming orders”.
“It was a custom-made pen and is not available for sale, nor do we have any plans to make it so,” Zenyle said on its website.
Crafted over six weeks, the pen used by Lee featured a nib adapted from Monami’s name-pen line and a case engraved with a phoenix and Taegeuk emblem, a symbol of the South Korean national flag.
Ccowboy-style version of Trump’s signature red Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats, made in pairs for both him and First Lady Melania Trump
GIFT STRATEGY TAILORED TO TRUMP’S TASTES
The Korean president’s carefully calibrated gift strategy apparently worked, pleasing Trump, analysts said.
Alongside the pen, Lee presented a custom-made golf putter, produced by Seoul-based workshop Gold Five and engraved with Trump’s name.
Other sets of gifts Lee prepared for Trump were a 30-centimeter model of an ironclad turtle ship symbolizing Korea’s shipbuilding prowess, and a cowboy-style version of Trump’s signature red Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat, made in pairs for both him and First Lady Melania Trump.
A model of an ironclad turtle ship symbolizing South Korea’s shipbuilding prowess, which President Lee Jae Myung gave Trump as a gift
The metal turtle ship was made by HD Hyundai Co.’s master craftsman Oh Jeong-cheol, sources said.
For his part, Trump reciprocated with a photo album of his recent campaign-trail shooting incident and autographed memorabilia.
At a post-lunch session, the US president ushered Korean delegates into the White House gift shop to pick out keepsakes, signing golf balls and hats on the spot.
Write to In-Soo Nam at isnam@hankyung.com
Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.
