A recreated image of the cheeseburger and three ketchup bottles served to President Trump. (Photo provided by Hilton Hotel Gyeongju)
GYEONGJU, Oct. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea’s ancient city of Gyeongju played host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit this week, one guest drew particular fascination not for his diplomacy, but for his dinner order.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who stayed overnight at the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju during his two-day visit, reportedly requested a cheeseburger with “extra ketchup” as his first meal upon arrival.
According to hotel staff, Trump arrived around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, ordered the burger through room service, and ate it with French fries—down to the last bite.
“He didn’t order any Coke,” one staff member said. “But he was very satisfied with the meal.” Diet Coke, Trump’s preferred drink, was reportedly flown in separately by his team since it is not sold in South Korea.
At the White House’s request, a plate of sliced seasonal fruit was also prepared in Trump’s suite. The hotel, which normally serves uncut fruit, was asked to ensure the fruit was ready to eat to help him “recover quickly from fatigue.” The platter included Shine Muscat grapes, pineapple, small apples, persimmons, melon, and plums.
President Trump poses for a commemorative photo with hotel staff. (Photo provided by Hilton Hotel Gyeongju)
After a brief rest, Trump attended a state dinner hosted by President Lee Jae-myung in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, where he praised the food and personally asked hotel staff for a commemorative photo. The menu featured prime Gyeongju Hanwoo beef, Namsan pine mushrooms, flounder from Guryongpo, Ogol chicken dumplings with truffle, and caviar farmed in Jirisan.
Trump was also said to have commented on the hotel’s water after showering, asking whether it had been filtered or softened. Staff explained that it was natural hot spring water.
The next morning, Trump requested copies of The Washington Post and The New York Times, and took breakfast privately in his room before departing for Busan.
Security around his stay was intense. Trump used a staff-only elevator to move within the hotel, with American Secret Service agents at his side. A tented passageway was erected to shield his movements from view, and the entire eighth floor—where his suite was located—was sealed off with bulletproof glass installed on the windows.
President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a presidential state dinner hosted by Lee in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on October 29. (Yonhap)
“Only a few staff who served at the banquet managed to glimpse him,” one hotel employee said. “For everyone else, it was just a rumor he was even there.”
Even after Trump’s departure, U.S. security personnel and Korean police continued to manage the restricted area. “They told us they would leave once their own withdrawal was complete,” a hotel representative said, “but they wouldn’t say exactly when that would be.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
