From left: Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Chung Euisun, and Hanwha Group vice chairman Kim Dong-kwan. - Herald DB
SEOUL: As South Korea and the United States reached an agreement on tariffs on Wednesday (July 30), attention is turning to the behind-the-scenes role of South Korea’s top business tycoons, who acted as de facto special envoys in the critical final days of negotiations.
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan all made high-profile visits to the US this week, lending their corporate firepower to support Seoul’s diplomatic efforts to ease steep tariffs on Korean exports, especially in the auto, semiconductor and shipbuilding sectors.
