Will Lee Jae Myung Connect with Business Leaders Before Meeting Trump?

Seoul, Aug 19 (NationPress) President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to convene a meeting on Tuesday with the heads of significant business conglomerates who will join him on his journey to Washington for his upcoming summit discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the presidential office.

Lee will engage with leaders from crucial sectors, including semiconductors, shipbuilding, automobiles, defense, biotechnology, and energy, which are vital for industrial collaboration and agenda topics for the anticipated summit with Trump on August 25 in Washington, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Among the attendees are Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who also serves as the head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

Other notable participants include Korean Air CEO Cho Won-tae, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon, Doosan Enerbility Chairman Park Gee-won, and Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin.

This visit will mark Lee's inaugural summit with Trump and includes a two-day visit to Tokyo for discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before heading to Washington.

The trip follows a recent trade agreement between Seoul and Washington, which lowered impending U.S. tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent in return for South Korea's commitment to a $350 billion investment and $100 billion in U.S. energy purchases.

Of the promised investment, $150 billion will be directed towards Seoul's shipbuilding initiative, termed 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' (MASGA).

According to U.S. experts, Trump is likely seeking a productive outcome from next week's summit with President Lee Jae Myung, especially after recent high-profile discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded without a tangible agreement.

Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), noted during a podcast that, "The U.S. president probably wants a success next week. He doesn't like failure to be followed by failure. So, he's probably going to want some sort of success next week."

Cha also mentioned, "And that may bode well for the meeting in addition to the fact that Koreans have put a lot on the table already, with $350 billion plus the shipbuilding investment,” referencing last month’s trade agreement where Seoul pledged to invest $350 billion in the U.S., among other commitments.