Scheduled to Depart This Month... Possibility of Special Envoy Status for Chung Eui-sun, Koo Kwang-mo, and Shin Dong-bin Chairmen
Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group. [Photo by each company]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Ye-joo] Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, ranked first in the domestic business world, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, ranked second, will visit the UK and Japan this month to support the bid for the '2030 Busan World Expo.'
According to the business community on the 1st, Vice Chairman Lee and Chairman Chey are planning to visit the UK and Japan respectively in September as special envoys of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
In particular, Vice Chairman Lee is reportedly seeking a meeting with Liz Truss, the UK Foreign Secretary and a strong candidate for the next Prime Minister, after she takes office on the 5th. Since there are no scheduled court dates for the Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries unfair merger trial and the Samsung Biologics accounting fraud suspicion trial during the Chuseok holiday from the 9th to the 12th, Lee will not have to worry about the court from the 3rd to the 14th, a total of 12 days.
Earlier, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo mentioned at a press conference on the 30th of last month, "Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is likely to travel to Europe close to Chuseok and visit several countries to support the bid."
Chairman Chey plans to visit Osaka, Japan, within this month. Osaka is the host city for the 2025 Expo. Chairman Chey currently serves as the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and co-chairman of the Busan Expo bid committee.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin are also expected to support the Busan Expo bid as special envoys of the president. Chairman Chung is scheduled to visit Europe and the United States, Chairman Koo will tour Poland, and Chairman Shin plans to visit Japan and Vietnam to support the Expo bid.
Furthermore, it is anticipated that the heads of conglomerates will make their utmost efforts in the bidding around the time of the UN General Assembly from the 18th to the 20th, when world leaders gather in one place. In fact, Lotte plans to hold the ‘Lotte-Korea Brand Expo’ at Pier 17 in southeastern Manhattan, New York, on the 20th and 21st, with the participation of 150 small and medium-sized enterprises. During this period, Chairman Shin will lead a strategy using promotional videos and leaflets emphasizing the necessity of the Busan Expo.
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