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Agence France-Presse

Shares in a South Korean penmaker surged on Tuesday, an unexpected outcome from the first summit between US President Donald Trump and his counterpart, Lee Jae-myung, in Washington.
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.
“Is that your pen? It’s a nice pen. Do you want to take it with you?” Trump said, drawing laughter in the room.
“You know, I like it. The writing is beautiful, the thickness. Grab that pen for me,” he said with a smile, adding that he was not fond of ballpoints.

Lee replied that he would gift it to Trump, calling it an “honour” and saying it would be “useful in your complicated signature”.
Trump said he would not use it, but instead “keep it in a very important place”.
The US president is known for the bold, thick strokes of his signature, often filling a page with its sharp peaks and heavy lines.
The exchange sent shares of South Korean penmaker Monami soaring on Tuesday, even though it did not make the pen used at the White House.

Shares in the company, a household name that has produced pens for more than 60 years, closed up nearly 30 per cent, simply on misguided speculation that it had made Lee’s pen.
Zenyle, a domestic brand specialising in handcrafted pens, confirmed that it had made the pen used by Lee and coveted by Trump.
“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, adding that it had received “overwhelming orders” after Trump’s compliment.


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South Korea

Trump’s pen praise sends South Korean shares soaring after Lee Jae-myung meeting

US President Donald Trump (right) looks at a handcrafted wood pen as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung signs a guest book  before entering the Oval Office on Monday. Photo: Yonhap/AFP

South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung signs the guest book at the White House in front of US President Donald Trump. Photo: dpa

Donald Trump is known for the bold, thick strokes of his signature. Photo: Reuters

After Trump talks, South Korea’s Lee has new burden: US wants military base land

US President Donald Trump (left) welcomes South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to the White House on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Lee (right) signs the guest book as Trump looks on at the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap

Military chiefs from (from left) the US, South Korea and Japan join hands during the Trilateral Chiefs of Defence meeting in Seoul on July 11. Photo: AFP

Trump, South Korea’s Lee stress common ground in White House meeting

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, left, and US President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA

US President Donald Trump welcomes visiting South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the White House on Monday. Photo: EPA

Monday’s summit was the first in-person meeting between Trump and Lee. Photo: EPA

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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (left) and US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP

A shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. Seoul is expected to tout its shipbuilding expertise as a bargaining chip with Trump. Photo: NurPhoto/Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects naval officers during an inspection of a new warship on Monday. Photo: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung holds a meeting with heads of major business conglomerates at the presidential office in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo: Yonhap/EPA

South Korea revives inter-Korean pacts despite North’s hostility

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung speaks in Seoul on Friday. He told his cabinet on Monday that the country should have “the courage” to ease tensions with the North. Photo: EPA

Apache attack helicopters in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Monday as the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began. Photo: dpa

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has dismissed Seoul’s outreach towards Pyongyang as “a pipe dream”.  Photo: AP

South Korea, Japan aim to show solidarity amid conflicting US signals at Tokyo summit

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung shake hands ahead of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit on June 17. Photo: Kyodo/AP

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (front, centre) waves the national flag during a ceremony celebrating the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in Seoul on Friday. Photo: EPA

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Monami shares rose almost 30 per cent after Trump admired President Lee Jae-myung’s writing instrument, despite confusion over its true maker


Monami shares rose almost 30 per cent after Trump admired President Lee Jae-myung’s writing instrument, despite confusion over its true maker.


Trump’s pen praise sends South Korean shares soaring after Lee Jae-myung meeting

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Monami shares rose almost 30 per cent after Trump admired President Lee Jae-myung’s writing instrument, despite confusion over its true maker

Monami shares rose almost 30 per cent after Trump admired President Lee Jae-myung’s writing instrument, despite confusion over its true maker