South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol Golf Training For Possible Competing With Donald Trump

Donal Trump while playing golf with the late Shinzo Abe. (Wikimedia Commons/)

JAKARTA - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol recently took his golf club back, in preparation for a possible match with US elected president Donald Trump, according to officials at the presidential office on Monday.

President Yoon's decision to return to golf is a way to prepare for his interaction with Trump who loves golf a lot, according to sources familiar with the matter to The Korea Times.

President Yoon said he planned to "order a meeting with Trump as soon as possible to establish relations and hold discussions," during an economic and security meeting held at the presidential office on Sunday.

The statement was made as he shared some details of his recent telephone conversation with Republican politicians which took place last Thursday.

President Yoon is known to have practiced golf at locations other than the presidential official residence, following suggestions to increase his golf skills in order to strengthen his relationship with Trump.

It is believed, this is Yoon's first time taking a golf club in years. In 2019, President Yoon told lawmakers during the trial of confirmation of the country's attorney general's position, he used to play golf occasionally at the start of his career as a prosecutor. However, he added that he had almost never played golf since 2010, when he became head of the second investigative division at the Attorney General's Office.

President Yoon's decision to return to training his golf swing seems inspired by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who developed close personal relationships and mutual trust with Trump through several golf rounds during the US President's first term.

The late Abe played his first official golf round with Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in February 2017, shortly after Trump's inauguration as US President at the end of January.

They are also seen enjoying golf together in the future on their state visit to their respective countries, which shows Trump's nature in combining official affairs with playing golf.