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CJ chairman joins business leaders accompanying Lee for Trump summit

Published: 21 Aug. 2025, 20:29

This undated file photo provided by CJ Group shows the food-to-entertainment conglomerate's Chairman Lee Jae-hyun. [YONHAP]

CJ Group, a Korean food-to-entertainment conglomerate, said Thursday its chairman will join other business leaders accompanying President Lee Jae Myung to a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump next week.

Chairman Lee Jae-hyun will be part of the Korean economic delegation for the meeting slated for Aug. 25 in Washington, a company spokesperson said.

His participation is seen as linked to CJ Group's expanding operations in the United States. The conglomerate runs businesses in food, entertainment and logistics there.

CJ CheilJedang acquired a 70 percent stake in frozen food processor Schwan's in 2019, strengthening its presence in the U.S. food market. CJ ENM purchased an 80 percent stake in U.S. content company Fifth Season in 2021, while CJ Logistics acquired a 90 percent stake in Illinois-based DSC Logistics in 2018.

The delegation also includes Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, as well as executives from key industries such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, automobiles, defense, biotechnology and energy.

The upcoming Lee-Trump summit follows a recent trade agreement between Seoul and Washington that lowered U.S. reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent in exchange for Korea's pledge of $350 billion in investment and $100 billion in U.S. energy purchases.

Of the pledged investment, $150 billion will go to Seoul's shipbuilding cooperation initiative, dubbed "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA).

Yonhap