(AFP) – 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 percent, 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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