US President Donald Trump arrived at Gimhae International Airport in Busan on Tuesday, marking his first visit to South Korea in six years since 2019, to attend a series of events for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit set to open this week.
Trump landed at 11:32 a.m., about an hour later than the initially estimated time. The airport was chosen for its proximity to Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where the APEC summit is set to open on Friday and Saturday. The preivious stop was Tokyo, part of his Asia tour.
Upon arrival, Trump was greeted by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-hwa, and inspected the honor guard prepared to welcome him. A 21-gun salute — the highest courtesy accorded to a head of state — was fired to welcome him.
After a brief media appearance, Trump is expected to travel to Gyeongju aboard Marine One, one of the US presidential helicopters.
Security has been tightened to the highest level in and around the host city. The South Korean government has issued a Level A emergency alert for the summit, designating a 3.7-kilometer no-fly zone around the venue. Underwater drones have also been deployed to monitor surrounding waters.
Trump’s delayed arrival postponed his keynote remarks for CEOs attending APEC-related events, which were originally set for 12:05 p.m. Likewise, his bilateral summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is likely to be adjusted accordingly. A dinner between the two leaders is set to take place later in the evening. Trump’s schedule for the time between the summit and the dinner was not released.
On Thursday, Trump is scheduled to hold a separate bilateral summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will arrive in South Korea the same day.
Local reports said the two sides were considering the reception hall at Gimhae International Airport, known as Naraemaru, as the venue, given the leaders’ tight schedules and security arrangements.
Following his meeting with Xi, attention is shifting to whether Trump will seek another high-profile encounter — this time with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
While his official schedule is expected to conclude that day, a day before the main APEC Leaders’ Meeting session, speculation is mounting that Trump could extend his stay to meet Kim. Trump has said he is willing to prolong his visit if such a meeting takes place.
In 2019, Trump made a surprise visit to Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, where he briefly met Kim. Gyeongju, located about 270 kilometers from Panmunjom, can be reached by helicopter in roughly one hour.
Trump, who returned to White House in January 2025, has attended only one APEC summit — in Vietnam in 2017, his first year in office during his first term — and skipped the 2018 session in Papua New Guinea. The 2019 and 2020 summits were canceled due to domestic unrest in Chile and the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively.
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