SK holds CEO seminar in Paris to promote Busan's Expo bid

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, poses with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon during a banquet with correspondents in Paris, Oct. 9. Courtesy of the Prime Minister's office

SK Group will hold an annual meeting of the chief executives of its subsidiaries in Paris from Monday to Wednesday, as Chairman Chey Tae-won continues to promote Busan's World Expo 2030 bid to ambassadors in the French capital ahead of the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Paris is home to the BIE's headquarters where ambassadors from the 182 member countries will vote on Nov. 28 for the World Expo 2030 venue.

As a co-chair of the committee to support Busan’s bid, Chey has been staying in Paris this month. He attended a symposium promoting Busan’s bid at Pavillon Gabriel in Paris last week and met with foreign press in the French city.

SK Group therefore decided to host this year’s CEO seminar in Paris. The last time it held its CEO seminar in a foreign country was in 2009 when it took place in China. The annual event typically takes place on Jeju Island and Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, which houses the headquarters of SK hynix.

Industry officials expect the group’s top executives to discuss the potential impact of rising Middle East tensions on businesses, given that SK Innovation is engaged in the oil refining and petrochemical sectors. In addition, SK hynix may face fallout from the Israel-Hamas war, as Israel is home to multiple semiconductor companies.

“The executives will review the effects of macroeconomic conditions here and overseas, as well as check the financial conditions of each affiliate,” an SK Group official said.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, right, talks with Estonian President Alar Karis during a luncheon at the company's headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of SK Group

Although the SK chief is focused on diplomatic efforts in Paris, he also spent several days in Korea last week to boost ties with the U.S., Estonia and member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The chairman met with a U.S. Senate delegation led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at SK Group headquarters in Seoul last Wednesday to discuss economic cooperation. A day later, he attended an event to unveil memorials in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, for two U.S. veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War.

On Friday, Chey had a luncheon with Estonian President Alar Karis at the company's headquarters, promising SK Square’s funding for the Estonian sovereign wealth fund’s investments in companies engaged in the ICT, environment and energy sectors. The chairman is said to have asked the Estonian president to support Busan’s bid.

Their meeting took place a day after Chey had dinner with the CARICOM representatives from Jamaica, Grenada and Belize, to discuss cooperation in the agriculture, ICT and tourism industries. All 14 CARICOM member states are BIE members, so they are considered major voters.

Following the series of meetings last week, Chey returned to Paris.