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 | | Lee has battled against low popularity ratings |
Lee Myung-bak, South Korea's president, has told his officials to stop playing golf, saying it sends the wrong message to people suffering the effects of the country's economic downturn.
His comments came as South Korea's main stock market closed down 1.83 per cent on Thursday. "Golf is not bad," the Korean Yonhap news agency quoted a presidential official as saying on Thursday. "But ... as prices are unstable and the economic situation is not getting better, president Lee thinks they need to consider public sentiment." Golf is hugely popular in South Korea, but it is an expensive hobby. It is estimated that an average club near the capital charges $250,000 to $500,000 to join and members can expect to pay $250 per guest for a weekend round on the green. The high costs of playing has meant many players fly to other parts of Asia where it is cheaper to play. Lee was elected in February, but has been battling low popularity ratings and with the economy below par, he has had to abandon his ambitious economic growth targets for the year.
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