Trump Jr. to visit Seoul next week to meet Korean business leaders

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the US President Donald Trump, is set to visit Seoul next week and meet with Korean business leaders grappling with rising US trade protectionism amid a domestic leadership vacuum. 

Shinsegae Group, the country's retail giant, said on Wednesday that Trump Jr. is scheduled for a one or two-day trip to Seoul next week at the invitation of its Chairman Chung Yong-jin.

“It was arranged at the request of our business community for Chung to serve as a bridge to the Trump administration,” said a Shinsegae official. Chung is among the few Korean businesspeople known to have close ties with Trump Jr.

It will mark Trump Jr.’s first visit to the country since his father began his second term in the White House in late January.

Details such as the exact date of his arrival and meeting schedules have not been disclosed. Samsung, SK and other top conglomerates in the country are lining up for meetings with him.

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is expected to meet with Trump Jr., along with Ryu Jin, chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries and CEO of nonferrous metal producer Poongsan Corp.

Trump Jr., a businessman, emerged as the family’s most influential adviser to his father during Trump's 2024 campaign and cabinet transition.

Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Inc. and E-Mart Inc., has cemented a relationship with Trump Jr. since 2015, strengthened by their shared devotion to Protestant Christianity.

His visit to Seoul follows Washington's announcement last month of sweeping 25% tariffs on all vehicles built outside the US, dealing a heavy blow to South Korea's export-reliant economy.

The US policy move came at a time of political uncertainty in Asia's No. 4 economy following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol in December and his formal ouster by the Constitutional Court early this month. A snap presidential election is set for June 3. 

In December, Chung became the first South Korean business leader to meet then-President-elect Trump, during his visit to the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida at the invitation of Trump Jr.

He was later introduced to a host of influential US political and business figures by Trump Jr. during President Trump’s inauguration in January.

Write to Jae-Kwang Ahn at ahnjk@hankyung.com
 

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.