After 'Super Week,' Yoon Meets Lee Jae-yong, Kim Gun-hee Meets Lee Boo-jin

Separate Follow-up Report Orders After the Tour... Direct Inspection from Planning Stage
Mrs. Kim Also Supports... President Yoon Emphasizes 'One Team' and Promises to Revitalize the 'Tourism Industry'
Ordered Progress Reports to Relevant Ministries, Then Shifted to 'Time for Domestic Affairs'

President Yoon Suk-yeol, having concluded the diplomatic super week, has entered a period focused on domestic affairs. Immediately following the Group of Seven (G7) summit and bilateral meetings, he met with business leaders including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong to urge investment, and even his wife, First Lady Kim Keon-hee, expressed her support for activities in the tourism sector. President Yoon plans to thoroughly review follow-up measures, participating directly from the planning stage to swiftly realize the outcomes of the trip.

According to the Blue House on the 24th, President Yoon attended the '2030 Korea Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Conference' the previous day, where he met business leaders in person to share diplomatic achievements and call for cooperation between the government and companies. The event brought together both SMEs and large corporations, with nine top business leaders attending, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. At the event held on the lawn in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon enjoyed 'chimaek' (fried chicken and beer) with the business leaders.

At the gathering, President Yoon said, "The government is working as one team with businesses to actively support their overseas expansion and exports," urging companies to "arm themselves more boldly with creativity and innovation and leap into the global market." In response, Chairman Lee Jae-yong conveyed a message of cooperation, stating, "Although the economy is tough these days, I believe that if we all work together as one team as the President said, this long tunnel will soon pass."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is performing the "'Ham'kke 'Seong'janghaneun Daehanminguk" (Hamseong Daehanminguk Declaration Ceremony) performance with attendees at the "2023 Korea Small and Medium Business Conference" held on the lawn of the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul on the 23rd. Photo by Presidential Office Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon was also seen moving between tables to engage in conversations with business leaders. At the table where Hyundai Motor Company Chairman Chung Eui-sun was seated, when a businessperson asked if overseas schedules were difficult, President Yoon replied, "When I go abroad, I don't feel tired, perhaps because there is no stress." Another businessperson remarked, "With a 77% approval rating from SMEs, it seems you will have no stress domestically in the future," to which President Yoon emphasized, "When businesses do well, workers do well, and only then does the country do well." He also exchanged discussions about business models with a young entrepreneur, the CEO of Food Travel.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee also lent her support to President Yoon's domestic efforts. On the same day, at the request of Lee Boo-jin, Chairwoman of the Korea Tourism Year Committee and CEO of Hotel Shilla, Kim agreed to serve as the honorary chairperson of the Korea Tourism Year Committee. She personally attended the launch ceremony and expressed her commitment to supporting the revitalization of the K-tourism industry. Kim stated, "Experiencing Korean food, culture, arts, and traditional architecture firsthand is the travel trend for people around the world," adding, "I will support making K-tourism, including these elements, a bucket list destination for global travelers."

When the importance of turning global interest and enthusiasm into visits to Korea was raised, Chairwoman Lee said, "I was deeply impressed by First Lady Kim Keon-hee's dedicated efforts to promote Korean culture every time she travels abroad," and requested that she become a strong supporter of the success of Korea Tourism Year and the activities of the K-tourism cooperation group.

First Lady Kim Keon-hee is applauding after completing the invitation sending ceremony with Lee Boo-jin, Chairwoman of the Korea Visit Year Committee (right), at the launch ceremony of the K-Tourism Cooperation Group held on the 23rd at the Korea Tourism Organization's promotional hall "Hiker Ground" in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, President Yoon instructed not only his presidential aides but also relevant ministries to implement follow-up measures after the trip, and decided to receive direct reports on the progress of major issues. A senior government official stated, "In fact, since March, consultations and detailed coordination related to the consecutive diplomatic schedules have been ongoing with all ministries," adding, "For matters where leaders have directly expressed their will, the President will provide input from the planning stage and receive progress reports throughout the process."