Invitation Revealed After the Fact
Chairman Kim Seung-yeon Was Also Invited in 2017
Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group, was invited to and attended the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President Donald Trump, a fact that was revealed belatedly. Vice Chairman Kim attended the 'Starlight' ball, which only invites key figures, and the 'Candlelight Dinner' held the day before the inauguration, where he communicated extensively with VIPs from various countries as well as officials from the new U.S. administration and political and business circles.
According to the business community on the 22nd, Vice Chairman Kim watched the inauguration ceremony of President Trump, held on the 20th (local time), via live broadcast in an indoor space in Washington DC’s Capitol Rotunda. The inauguration was originally scheduled to take place on an outdoor stage in front of the Capitol, but due to a forecast of subzero temperatures, the venue was changed to the indoor Capitol Rotunda. Those invited watched the ceremony on screens in other locations such as the Emancipation Hall or the nearby sports arena, Capital One Arena.
Kim Dong-kwan, CEO of Hanwha Group, is attending the 'Economic Community New Year's Meeting' held at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
Vice Chairman Kim is also reported to have attended the 'Starlight' ball held at Union Station, Washington DC’s central station, on the evening of the inauguration day. The Starlight ball, one of the three inauguration balls, is an exclusive event attended only by key figures.
This event, conducted as an official ball combined with a dinner, allows only carefully selected key political and business figures invited by the Trump side to attend with their spouses or families. Besides Vice Chairman Kim, only Chung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, and his spouse attended this ball.
Prior to this, Vice Chairman Kim also attended the 'Candlelight Dinner' held at the National Building Museum in Washington DC the day before the inauguration. A Hanwha Group official explained, "Vice Chairman Kim was invited to the Candlelight Dinner as well, where he communicated with officials from the new U.S. administration and political and business circles."
It is reported that Vice Chairman Kim was invited to the inauguration due to his longstanding connections with U.S. Republican figures, which began during the tenure of his father, Kim Seung-yeon, Chairman of Hanwha Group. At President Trump’s inauguration held in January 2017, Chairman Kim Seung-yeon was the only head of a top 10 domestic conglomerate invited but was unable to attend due to health issues. At that time, Chairman Kim was known to have been invited due to his close relationship with Edwin Feulner, Chairman of the Asia Studies Center at the U.S. Heritage Foundation and a member of Trump’s first presidential transition team.
Vice Chairman Kim is expected to complete his U.S. business trip schedule, including business meetings, and return to Korea.
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