Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of U.S. President Donald Trump, will visit South Korea on the 29th at the invitation of Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group. Amid growing U.S. trade pressures, Trump Jr. is expected to hold individual meetings with the heads of major domestic corporations.
According to the business community, Trump Jr. will arrive on the same day in a private jet. This is Trump Jr.'s first visit to Korea since August last year, when he attended a political conference called "Build Up Korea 2024" organized by a conservative youth group. It is his first trip since President Trump took office in January.
This two-day, one-night visit was made possible by the invitation of Chairman Chung, who has a close relationship with Trump Jr. Behind this, there was a request from the domestic business community to serve as a bridge with the Trump administration.
On the 30th, Trump Jr. will hold relay private meetings with the heads of major corporations at a location in Seoul. It is known that the heads of corporations specializing in semiconductors, automobiles, energy, electronics, steel, and defense, among others, are particularly interested in meeting with Trump Jr. It is anticipated that the total number of meeting participants will be around 20.
In the business community, it is expected that many heads of the top 10 groups will participate in the meetings. However, Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, is reportedly unable to attend due to overseas engagement. Shin Dong-bin, chairman of LOTTE Corporation, is also visiting Indonesia as part of an economic delegation from The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), leading to speculation that his eldest son, Shin Yoo-yeol, vice president of LOTTE Corporation, may attend instead. Chung Ki-seon, vice chairman of HD Hyundai, is set to tour HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard with John Phelan, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on the same day, making it difficult to schedule a meeting.
Lee Jae-hyun, chairman of CJ Group, Park Jung-won, chairman of Doosan Group, Gu Ja-eun, chairman of LS Group, and Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group, are also mentioned as potential meeting attendees. Lee Hae-jin, chairman of NAVER, has also been listed among the candidates for the meeting.
The meeting time is said to be about one hour per person. It appears that the meeting will primarily be an opportunity for Trump Jr. to listen to the discussions of corporate heads. It has been reported that Trump Jr. does not plan to meet with politicians or government officials outside of the corporate heads.
Trump Jr. is known to be a key behind-the-scenes figure in Trump's second administration. He also recommended JD Vance, a senator, for vice president.