Korean business leaders meet Trump for golf amid tariff talks
A group of top South Korean business leaders held a golf outing with U.S. President Donald Trump at his private Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday (local time), amid ongoing discussions over tariffs between the two countries, Yonhap reports.
On Saturday morning, local police briefly blocked the road connecting Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence to the Trump International Gold Club to allow his motorcade to pass. White House pool reporters confirmed his arrival at the club at 9:15 a.m.
The South Korean delegation included the heads of South Korea's largest conglomerates: Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan.
The meeting, reportedly arranged by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, came at a critical time, with unresolved tariff negotiations and significant economic interests hanging in the balance for the two allies. It is believed to have provided a key opportunity for South Korean executives to directly engage with Trump on various issues in discussion.
While it is unclear who President Trump paired with in the golf match, an official from one of the participating companies said in a phone interview with Yonhap that the heads of the groups "enjoyed the game with President Trump and discussed various topics."
The White House declined the pool reporter's request for confirmation.
This high-stakes golf meeting coincides with formal negotiations in Washington, where senior South Korean officials were also working to find a breakthrough in the ongoing trade talks.
As reported earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump is anticipated to pay a visit to South Korea from October 29 to 30 to participate in high-level meetings on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
