Blue House forms task force to prepare for possible Lee-Trump golf outing
Such a meeting is expected to occur in December on the sidelines of the Group of 20 gathering, following a proposal in September that they hit the links.
President Lee Jae Myung, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump meet in New York on Sept. 23.JOINT PRESS CORPS
The presidential office has formed a task force to prepare for a potential golf outing between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump.
"The Blue House has formed a working-level team to prepare for a golf outing with President Trump," a top office official said Tuesday.
The task force was established in late September, after Lee returned from his trip to the United States and Mexico. The team is led by Kwon Hyuk-gi, the presidential secretary for protocol, and includes officials from the Office of National Security, the Office of the Presidential Secretary for Culture and Sports, the Office of the Presidential Secretary for Protocol, the Presidential Security Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The team also reportedly held an in-person meeting recently.
During a Korea-U.S. summit in New York on Sept. 22, Trump told Lee that they should play a round of golf.
"Since the Group of 20 summit will be held in Miami this December, why don't we play a round there?" Lee replied.
Trump then instructed White House chief of staff Susie Wiles on the spot to look into arranging the outing, raising the prospect of a golf meeting between the two leaders later this year.
The task force is reviewing previous golf outings between Trump and other world leaders to determine the format and timing of a potential meeting. Once the schedule is confirmed, the team plans to seek advice from the Korea Golf Association and other sports organizations.
The team is also reportedly considering having Lee wear a cap bearing "KOR," the initials for Korea's official name, given that Trump frequently wears a cap emblazoned with "USA" during his golf outings.
A professional golfer could also join the two leaders on the course.
U.S. President Donald Trump, far right, walks alongside then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second from left in a blue hat, at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, Japan, on Nov. 5, 2017. The two were joined by Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama, then ranked No. 4 in the world, for a round of golf.PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN
Japanese professional golfer Hideki Matsuyama joined Trump and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a round of golf in 2017. Former professional golfer Gary Player of South Africa also accompanied Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb during a golf outing last year.
During a Korea-U.S. summit at the White House on Aug. 25 last year, Trump asked Lee why Korean women's professional golfers were so talented. Trump also met former professional golfer Pak Se-ri during his visit to Korea in 2019 and told her that he'd like to play golf sometime.
News of the task force's formation emerged amid criticism from the People Power Party (PPP) over Lee's decision to play golf on Saturday, when a commercial building's ceiling collapsed in Daegu. The PPP accused Lee of engaging in "imperial golf," a term used to criticize extravagant or privileged golfing activities.
"A round of golf between heads of state is an official diplomatic event, and since there are relatively few precedents, thorough preparations are necessary," a Blue House official said. "I understand that the diplomatic authorities will coordinate the schedule with the U.S. side at a later date."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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