On Tuesday, the South Korean presidential Blue House confirmed that President Yoon Suk Yeol practiced golf for the first time in eight years, preparing for a future meeting with US President Donald Trump.
According to reports from Reuters citing South Korean media, President Yoon visited a golf course on Saturday, and the Blue House stated that his last golf game was in 2016.
During a press conference last Thursday, Yoon stated, “Many people close to President Trump… (told me) that President Trump and I will get along well.” He had previously congratulated Trump on his victory over the phone.
He also mentioned that former officials of the Trump administration and influential Republicans had offered to help him establish a connection with Trump.
Analysts point out that with Trump’s “America First” foreign policy agenda and his unpredictable style expected to play a role in his second term, Yoon may seek to use his personal friendship with Trump to promote diplomatic relations between the two countries.
During Trump’s first term, the two countries had disagreements over the cost-sharing of around 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.
The US military presence in Korea dates back to the Korean War in 1950. After the war, the two countries signed the Mutual Defense Treaty in October 1953, formally establishing their military alliance.
On Monday, ahead of the US election, South Korea and the US signed the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing for US troops stationed in Korea. The agreement is valid from 2026 to 2030.
Under the agreement, South Korea will bear defense costs of 1.5192 trillion won (about 1.134 billion USD) in 2026, an 8.3% increase from the previous year. The defense costs will then increase annually based on the inflation rate.
Seoul officials have been preparing for significant economic changes as South Korean businesses heavily rely on trade with the US. Yoon called for meetings between the government and industries to prepare for Trump’s return.
Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korean affairs expert at King’s College London, stated that Trump and Yoon Suk Yeol share similar personalities, both approaching things as outsiders, which could help them get along.
He added, “I also believe that Yoon Suk Yeol is generally popular among US decision-makers, and whoever provides Trump with foreign policy advice, it would be helpful to him.”
Bruce Klingner, a senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center in Washington, also believes that the two could build a strong relationship, but he warned that this may not be enough to bring tangible benefits to South Korea.
The former CIA analyst added, “Many leaders seek to replicate the friendship between Shinzo Abe and Trump, but there is no evidence that this private relationship brought tangible benefits to Japan.”
Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after his victory in the 2016 presidential election, establishing a close relationship. In July 2022, Abe was fatally shot during a campaign speech for a parliamentary election.
In November 2017, Nikkei reported that then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe led aides and secretaries to practice at a golf course to prepare for his meeting with Trump.