
Coupang founder and CEO Bom Kim will attend US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20, according to industry sources Thursday.
Kim, who leads the New York-listed e-commerce giant, received an official invitation to the event, sources said, and will participate in the inaugural ball afterward. He did not attend Trump's first inauguration.
During these events, he is expected to engage in discussions with key figures on economic cooperation between Korea and the US, joined by several American executives from the company.
Coupang's possible role in bridging the two countries commands attention, given the company’s ties to the US political and economic landscape.
Alex Wong, the president-elect’s pick for principal deputy national security adviser last November, served as head of public affairs at Coupang's Washington DC office, where he oversaw public policy matters and US government relations from 2021 until recently. Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, has served on Coupang's board of directors since 2019.
Kim will be joined by several Korean business leaders at the ceremony, including Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin, SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in, SM Group Chairman Woo Oh-hyun and Poongsan Group CEO Ryu Jin.