
Korean business leaders attending Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on Monday networked with key political and business figures in the new Trump administration.
Their roles, especially with a leadership vacuum in South Korea, received outsized attention, as their cross-sector reach spanning political and business circles could potentially impact future Korea-US relations.
Among the attendees, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin stood out, having forged a connection with the US president through his relationship with the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
In December last year, Chung visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, engaging in brief yet substantive discussions with Trump, though the specifics remained confidential.
According to industry sources, Chung spent time with Donald Trump Jr. during his three-day stay in Washington and met with key figures across business and politics.
Notably, the meetings included Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Andrew Ferguson. Chung also met with David Sachs, whom President Trump appointed to guide his administration's efforts in artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
Chung attended the live viewing at Washington's Capital One Arena to watch Donald Trump take the oath of office inside the US Capitol Rotunda.
Several Korean business leaders also deepened their US ties during their trips to the US.
Coupang founder and CEO Bom Kim attended pre-inauguration dinner parties, where he networked with key administration figures such as Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent.
He also met US business leaders like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. With Donald Trump Jr. and ministerial nominees in attendance, Kim discussed Coupang's logistics infrastructure, sources said.
Kim watched the ceremony in the Emancipation Hall at the US Capitol, following Trump's Rotunda ceremony.
Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan during his five-day stay met top US officials, such as Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Kim discussed Hanwha's business capabilities with senior US defense and security officials, exploring the potential for enhanced Korea-US cooperation in defense and shipbuilding.
SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in and SM Group Chairman Woo Oh-hyun, both recommended by the ROK-US Alliance Friendship Association, engaged with US Congress members and new Trump administration officials. Both chairmen watched the inauguration at venues other than the US Capitol and Capital One Arena.
Ryu Jin, Poongsan Group CEO and Federation of Korean Industries chairman, who was the first Korean in the business circle invited to the ceremony, did not appear at the Capital One Arena, according to local reports.
