Korean business leaders meet Trump amid tariff talks

New Delhi [India]: According to the news of Maeil Business Newspaper Korea’s English service Pulse, South Korea’s leading conglomerate leaders met with US President Donald Trump to play a round of golf in Florida; observers see this as an effort to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Business leaders met with Trump and other global executives at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Saturday local time. This was the first known instance of a US president playing golf with Korean business leaders.

Among the participants are Samsung Electronics Co. It was reported that Chief Executive Officer Jay Y. Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan were present.

SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son is said to have organized the meeting.

Trump arrived at the course at 9:15 a.m. and left around 4:50 p.m., spending about seven hours at the site, according to the White House press pool. It was his 11th tour there since returning to duty.

The Korean executives reportedly traveled together in the airport limousine bus instead of private vehicles. A black bus believed to be carrying them left the lot shortly after Trump’s departure and was seen heading to a five-star hotel on Palm Beach Island; Later, Son was seen in the lobby with his aides accompanying the Korean delegation.

It is not yet clear who plays in Trump’s group.

The event was believed to follow the shotgun starting format, with players starting from different holes at the same time.

The meeting was reportedly more than a social event, although few details have been confirmed. The talks may have touched on investment and trade issues in North America, people familiar with the matter said.

The meeting took place as Seoul and Washington are in the final stages of trade negotiations. This also comes as Korean conglomerates are expanding large-scale US investments in sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, automobiles and energy.

“President Trump is likely to have had in-depth discussions with the heads of major Korean companies,” an industry insider said. “Given that all of the country’s top business leaders were present, the meeting likely went beyond a simple round of golf.”

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.