South Korean President Yoon recently picked up a golf club for the first time in eight years. What was the reason?

Following the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election, South Korea is steadily preparing for diplomacy. On the 10th of this month, the South Korean Presidential Office held a press conference to discuss economic and security issues in preparation for the inauguration of the Trump administration.
On the 16th, a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties will visit the U.S. In addition, President Yoon Seok-yeol recently held a meeting to discuss the issue, noting that Trump is known to be a golf fan.
He said he started practicing golf. On the 5th, the US presidential election was voted for, and Republican candidate former President Trump won, making a comeback in four years.
"This is an unprecedented political victory. I'm grateful to have been given the special honor of being the 47th president of the United States," Trump said. "I'm grateful to have been able to restore the greatest country in the world," he said.
As soon as Trump's victory became certain, South Korean President Yoon posted a congratulatory message on social media on the night of the 6th. He immediately spoke with Trump by phone on the morning of the 7th.
According to a statement from the President's Office, the two leaders agreed to meet in person soon. Yoon spoke about the trilateral cooperation between Japan, the US and South Korea, saying, "In the future, the ROK-US alliance will be a close partnership that spans all areas, including security and the economy.
"I hope that the United States and South Korea will maintain a good cooperative relationship," Trump said.
They also exchanged views and expressed concern about North Korea's retaliation. They reportedly agreed on the need for discussions on the North Korea issue. On the other hand, Trump's return to power could mean major changes in policies in various areas of the U.S. government.
In an editorial published on the 7th, the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo said, "South Korea, which has been allied with the United States in both economic and security fields, is once again faced with an uncertain situation.
The editorial stated that due to the trade dispute between the United States and China and the reorganization of global supply chains, South Korea's largest export partner has shifted from China to the United States, and that
"If the next Trump administration again adopts protectionist trade policies, it will place a heavy burden on the Korean economy," he said.
"There are concerns that the US will abandon the goal of denuclearizing North Korea, which the ROK-US alliance has pursued up until now, by acknowledging the North's nuclear program," the report said.
In order to achieve this goal, the two sides held a meeting to discuss economic and security issues. At the meeting, Yoon cited trade as the area in which he expected the most change, and instructed the launch of a committee to deal with it, headed by the deputy prime minister.
Regarding these areas, he called for maintaining deterrence against North Korea based on the U.S.-ROK alliance and for the two countries to prepare to take on leadership roles for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to South Korean media, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties will visit the U.S. on the 16th.
According to the report, the delegation will attend the 9th Korea-U.S. Strategic Forum to be held in Washington on the 18th and 19th (local time) and will discuss the Korea-U.S. alliance and economic cooperation ahead of the launch of the second Trump administration.
The South Korean delegation is expected to explain its position, and KBS reported, "The delegation is also expected to try to make contact with Trump's close aides."
As South Korea accelerates its preparations for diplomacy with the United States, President Yoon recently
Trump is known to be a golf fan, and Yoon was advised by those around him to "prepare for golf diplomacy," so he picked up a golf club for the first time in eight years.
During his first term, he developed a close relationship with then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe through golf, and it is believed that he took inspiration from this.
On the 11th, the Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported that "President Yoon will fill the vacant seat of Mr. Abe next to Mr. Trump.
The editorial column, titled "How to Convince President Trump of His Election Win," said that President Yoon's call to congratulate him on his election victory was longer than that of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and that the call was placed earlier.
"Unlike Abe, Ishiba does not play golf, and it has been pointed out that he does not have much contact with Trump, who is a golf fan," he said, citing a report from the Japanese media that pointed this out.
"Attention will be focused on whether the Trump-Yoon golf diplomacy will come to fruition," he explained.