South Korean leader books golf with Trump after 'pinky promise'

18 Jun 2026 05:37PM

SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he may need to prepare for a round of golf with Donald Trump after receiving a "pinky promise" from the US president at G7 talks in France.

The two leaders met over dinner at the summit in Evian this week, where they discussed South Korea's long-standing rivalry with the nuclear-armed North.

Lee wrote on X they held "in-depth conversations about peace on the Korean Peninsula and Korea-US relations, and significant progress was made".

But it wasn't all work.

Trump "talked about golf and said he would play a round with us, and my wife sealed the pledge with a pinky promise", the South Korean leader posted.

At lunch the following day, avid golfer Trump presented Lee with one of his signature black markers, wrote Lee, posting a photo of the gift.

He also uploaded a picture of him seated next to the US leader, both smiling.

As they parted, the US president "again said we must play golf together. I had thought it was just a passing remark, but it seems I should start preparing", posted Lee.

He thanked Trump for his "special interest".

Trump owns over a dozen golf courses in the United States and elsewhere, including in Scotland and Ireland.

Source: AFP/fh