S Korean leader taking golf classes to prepare for meeting with Donald Trump

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is prepping himself for ‘golf diplomacy’ with the next president of the US, Donald Trump. According to Yoon’s office, the South Korean leader visited a golf course on Saturday (Nov. 9), a sport that he last played in 2016. Yoon believes his golf diplomacy may help him in his future meetings with Donald Trump.

Earlier on Thursday, Yoon told a press conference he shared a ‘very good chemistry’ with Trump. “A lot of people close to President Trump … [told me] President Yoon and Trump will have good chemistry,” Yoon was quoted as saying after he congratulated the president-elect over a phone call.

Yoon added that former Trump officials and senior GOP members had even offered him help to build ties with the 47th president.Trump loves playing golf and according to a report from Washington Post, the GOP leader played 261 rounds of golf during his first term, an average of one round per 5.6 days.

Yoon’s priority is to seek to build a personal relationship with Donald Trump, which may help him further the interests of his country.

Why South Korea is tensed over Trump's presidency?

During Trump’s first term, Trump and Seoul clashed over the cost-sharing of over 28,000 US troops stationed in South Korea. The troops are deployed there as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

On the other hand, Seoul’s trade partnership with the US is also one of the most cherished, with the North American economy contributing the most to South Korean exports. South Korean companies exported goods worth $116 billion to the US in 2023.

Now, Yoon hopes to minimise the potential threats to South Korean business interests that may arise from an unpredictable Trump administration by relying on personal connections. Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a specialist in Korean affairs at King’s College London, was quoted as saying by the Guardian, “I also think that Yoon is generally well-liked by policymakers in the United States, which will help him, whoever advises Trump on foreign policy.”

(With inputs from agencies)