Trump asked chief of staff to arrange golf diplomacy with Lee at G20 summit in Miami: Blue House official

A year-end golf meeting between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump on the margins of the Group of 20 summit in Miami is in the works after the U.S. leader asked his chief of staff to try to arrange a golf match for them, a Korean presidential official said on Sunday.

The Blue House official said that Trump initially brought up golf during the bilateral summit on Tuesday night, which took place on the sidelines of a reception for leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump was said to have proposed to Lee that they should “play a round of golf,” echoing his proposal from their previous encounters.

To this, Lee asked, “Since the G20 summit is taking place in Miami this December, shall we play a round there?”

Trump, in turn, instructed White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to “look into arranging it.”

The two leaders previously discussed playing golf both on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit in Évian, France, in June and the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July.

The two leaders’ third summit, arranged at the last minute after progress in trade talks, began at 7:20 p.m. and lasted 30 minutes during a dinner reception hosted by the U.S. presidential couple for leaders attending the UN General Assembly. Earlier, Korea had confirmed a $22.3 billion gas-fired power plant project in Texas as the first project under its $200 billion strategic investment package in the United States.

Lee and Trump’s third summit was originally scheduled for around 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday before a reception at 7 p.m., the official said.

However, the Korean side requested a different time slot out of concern that the conversation could be cut short. The schedule was reportedly adjusted to 7:20 p.m., just 10 minutes before Trump was set to deliver his keynote speech at the reception, the official said.

However, the talks lasted 30 minutes — well beyond the allotted time, considering the tight schedule during the UN General Assembly.

Once the talks began, the conversation between the two leaders flowed uninterrupted, the official said.

Trump’s speech to the leaders at the reception took place 30 minutes later at 8 p.m.

The U.S. side also extended courtesy toward Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung at a “Fostering the Future Together” luncheon event hosted by her U.S. counterpart, Melania Trump, at the St. Regis New York on Tuesday.

The U.S.-led “Fostering the Future Together” is a global coalition of spouses of heads of state aimed at empowering children through technology, innovation and education. Melania Trump first launched the initiative at last year’s UN General Assembly.

Kim attended this year’s event and was seen photographed standing right next to Melania Trump. Though the event was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., the group commemorative photo session was set to take place earlier because the host, the U.S. first lady, arrived half an hour ahead of schedule. Nonetheless, Melania Trump showed Kim courtesy by keeping the spot to her left open for her until she arrived 10 minutes before the event.

According to the Blue House official, a White House official explained that the gesture indicated that Korea is a “crucial and valued partner” to the United States, especially since it was the first to join the “Fostering the Future Together” initiative through an agreement. 

On Sunday night, Lee and Kim arrived in Korea, concluding a weeklong trip to the United States and Mexico.

Lee attended the UN General Assembly, held summits with President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and attended an investment summit in New York.

In his four-day state visit to Mexico City, Lee held a summit with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, attended a bilateral business forum and took part in cultural exchange activities, including attending K-Expo Mexico and a Stray Kids’ concert.

En route to Korea from Mexico, Lee held an unofficial chat with reporters in Anchorage on Saturday.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]