U.S. President Donald Trump on the morning of the 18th (local time) began a golf meeting with major corporations leaders from Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a motorcade believed to be carrying President Trump left the Mar-a-Lago estate on Palm Beach Island, Florida, at about 9:08 a.m. and headed to Trump International Golf Club. Police controlled the roughly five-minute stretch for 10 minutes, and the White House press pool said Trump arrived at the course at about 9:15 a.m.
The meeting was arranged at the invitation of Masayoshi Son, chair of Japan's SoftBank, who is leading the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure build-out project "Stargate." Asian major corporations leaders, including Lee Jae-yong, chair of Samsung Electronics, Chey Tae-won, chair of SK Group, Chung Eui-sun, chair of Hyundai Motor Group, and Koo Kwang-mo, chair of LG Group, were reportedly invited. However, whether they were specifically accompanying the event locally was not confirmed.
Access to the vicinity of the golf course was restricted by security personnel, and some Trump supporters were also seen cheering while holding placards with phrases such as "Please protect the president."
Meanwhile, Korea and the United States are continuing to coordinate views on how to manage a U.S.-bound investment fund of about $350 billion (about 500 trillion won). In business circles, the leaders' visit to the United States is seen as likely to play a role, along with AI infrastructure cooperation, in discussions on these trade issues.