SK chief will travel to US with Park

By Park Si-soo

Chey Tae-won SK Group Chairman

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is among the business leaders who will travel to the United States with President Park Geun-hye next week.

This will be his first visit to the U.S. after his release from prison on a presidential pardon in August. Chey is expected to attend events for Park and he will meet separately with SK’s business partners there.

The nation’s third largest conglomerate has a semiconductor research and development center in Silicon Valley and a branch office of SK Innovation, Korea’s biggest oil refiner, in Houston, Texas.

Chey will travel with several other executives, including GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo, who serves as chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yanh-ho and Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-maan and POSCO Chairman Kwon Oh-joon.

It’s uncertain whether Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong will take part in the trip. Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo won’t be included, instead his successor Chung Eui-sun, Hyundai Motor vice chairman, or a senior executive will be part of the group.

CEOs of many small and medium-sized companies are also expected to travel with the group.