Trump Jr. meets Korean business chiefs in back-to-back sessions

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, spent his one-and-a-half-day visit to South Korea in back-to-back private meetings with top Korean business leaders.

These meetings spanned a range of sectors, including biopharmaceuticals, defense, food, entertainment, energy, financial services industries, online platforms and real estate.

He arrived in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon via private jet at the invitation of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin, who was asked to serve as a bridge to the Trump administration.

Trump Jr. split his time into 30-minute to one-hour slots to accommodate the meetings, during his first visit to Asia’s No. 4 economy since his father began his second term in the White House in January.

He kicked off one-on-one, closed-door talks early Wednesday in a secured section of Josun Palace, a luxury hotel in Gangnam operated by retail giant Shinsegae. Security was tight throughout the property, which also houses the office of Shinsegae’s Chung, known to have close ties with him.

At around 8:45 a.m. local time, Kim Dong-kwan, vice chairman and heir apparent of Hanwha Group – a conglomerate spanning chemicals, defense, financial services and retail businesses – was spotted at a first-floor café in the hotel shortly after wrapping up his meeting with Trump Jr.

His two younger brothers – Kim Dong-won and Kim Dong-seon – joined him in the private meeting. Dong-won leads Hanwha Life Insurance Co. Dong-seon, the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, is in charge of the leisure and retail businesses, including Hanwha Galleria Corp. and Hanwha Hotels & Resorts Co.

Huh Yongsoo, chief executive of GS Energy Corp., also met with Trump Jr. as the US seeks Korean partners for a $45 billion liquefied natural gas development project in Alaska.

Yang Jong-hee, chief executive of KB Financial Group, was the only top executive from Korean financial services groups to hold talks with Trump Jr. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes.

Among the top executives who sat down with Trump Jr. were Lee Jay-hyun, chairman of food-to-entertainment conglomerate CJ Group and Seo Jung-jin, founder and chairman of biosimilar leader Celltrion Inc.

Lee Hae-jin, chairman of South Korea’s top internet portal operator Naver Corp., also held closed-door talks with Trump Jr., who emerged as the family’s most influential adviser to his father during Trump's 2024 campaign and cabinet transition.

His visit comes as South Korea faces rising trade barriers with the world’s largest economy amid tariff hikes and growing geopolitical uncertainty. For its part, Washington is seeking closer ties with Seoul in the shipbuilding and energy sectors, while encouraging Korean manufacturers to expand production in the US.

Trump Jr. is scheduled to leave South Korea late Wednesday.

Write to Yeonhee Kim at yhkim@hankyung.com
 

Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.