Korean business leaders will be among the attendees at US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20.
According to industry sources Wednesday, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin will attend both the ceremony and the inaugural ball, where President-elect Trump and his wife Melania Trump are expected to be present.
Chung has emerged as one of the most prominent Korean business figures attending the ceremony due to his close relationship with the president-elect's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. During a visit last December to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Chung said that he dined with the president-elect and engaged in substantial discussions, but declined to provide details.
On the same day, SPC Group announced that Chairman Hur Young-in has also been invited to the ceremony, following a recommendation from the ROK-US Alliance Friendship Association, which recognized Hur's earnest efforts to advance Korea-US economic cooperation. Following the inauguration, Hur plans to network with members of the US Congress.
This won't be Hur's first encounter with Trump, as they previously met in 2019 when Trump, then US president, visited Seoul for discussions with leaders of South Korean conglomerates. Hur's upcoming US visit coincides with SPC Group's expansion in the American market, where the company recently announced plans to invest $160 million to build its largest overseas production plant in Texas.
Other attendees include SM Group Chairman Woo Oh-hyun, an adviser to the RUAFA, who received an invitation last December to Trump's inauguration through the organization. Woo attended Trump's first inauguration ceremony in 2017.
The Federation of Korean Industries also revealed last December that its chairman Ryu Jin, who is also CEO of Poongsan Group and known for his extensive US connections, including ties to the Bush family, has been invited to the ceremony. Ryu's attendance has not yet been confirmed as of Wednesday.
By No Kyung-min (minmin@heraldcorp.com)
