South Korean golfing legend Choi Kyung-ju will lead the men's team at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Eight-time Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour winner Choi Kyung-ju and World Golf hall of famer Pak Se-ri will coach the South Korean men’s and women’s teams respectively at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, it has been announced.

The appointments were made by the Korean Golf Association, who have revealed they will undergo a visit to the Brazilian city to inspect the course and accommodation as part of their preparations for golf’s return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year hiatus.

Choi, whose best major result came in 2013 when he finished third at The Masters, is one of the Asian nation’s most recognisable golfers after he became the first Korean player to earn a PGA Tour membership in 1999.

In 2008, he then achieved the highest-ever world ranking by a South Korean golfer when he reached number five.

The 45-year-old’s most notable achievement came in 2011 as he clinched the Players Championship title with a nail-biting sudden death play-off hole victory over David Toms of the United States.

Though he still competes on the PGA Tour, he has decided to dedicate the majority of his time to helping developing youngsters in the nation, encouraging them to get involved in the sport.

Choi led the International team at the 2015 President’s Cup, a tournament where male players from the United States take on a side comprised of representatives from the rest of the world minus Europe.

Five-time major winner Pak Se-ri has been named as the coach of the women's team
Five-time major winner Pak Se-ri has been named as the coach of the women's team ©Getty Images

The South Korean was, however, unable to lead the team to victory as they suffered a 15.5-14.5 defeat.

Pak, meanwhile, has won a total of five majors so far in her career, including the Women’s PGA Championship in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Her other successes came at the US Open in 1998 and The Open three years later.

The 38-year-old was the youngest player ever to be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame, having claimed 24 LPGA victories, in November 2016.

The top 15 men’s and women’s players will earn an automatic berth at Rio 2016, with a limit of four golfers from each country allowed in the field of 60.

The sport’s inclusion at Rio 2016 has caused widespread debate, with world number three Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland recently insisting he would prefer a fifth major win over gold in the Brazilian city.

He also claimed he has "never dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning an Olympic medal".