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Chaebol chiefs mourn Vietnamese leader's death
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, front, bows at a memorial altar for Vietnam's late Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul in this undated photo. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Park Jae-hyuk
Heads of Samsung, SK, Lotte, GS, Hyosung, Daewoo E&C visit memorial altar in Seoul
The heads of Korea’s largest conglomerates mourned the death of Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong by visiting a memorial altar at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul during a two-day state funeral that took place between Thursday and Friday.
Samsung, the largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam, said Friday that Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently met Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea Vu Ho at the embassy. Lee expressed his condolences to the Vietnamese people for the loss of their leader, who passed away on July 19 after leading the country for 14 years.
In October 2014, the Samsung chief welcomed the late general secretary to the company's building in Seoul and briefed him on the tech firm's business operations in Vietnam to strengthen cooperation.
“Remembering the deceased’s firm principle and leadership, I will make more efforts for the growth of Vietnam and Korea,” Lee wrote on the visitors’ book, according to Samsung.
SK Group and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won, right, extends his condolences to Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea Vu Ho at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul, following the death of the country's leader, Thursday. Courtesy of KCCI
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the embassy, Thursday, and wrote on the visitors’ book that the Korean economy will be a reliable partner for Vietnam’s growth. Chey met the deceased in June last year, when he joined a business delegation accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visit to Vietnam.
As the chairman of Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the largest business lobby here, Chey also sent a letter of condolence to the Vietnamese ambassador on the very day of the general secretary’s death.
Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin writes a message of condolence at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Lotte Corp.
Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, who visited the embassy with the group’s senior executives, ordered all the company’s operations in Vietnam to hang flags at half-mast and change their logos on social media into black and white during the state funeral.
The conglomerate’s stores in Vietnam also decided to stop carrying out promotional events and playing music. They also closed their movie theaters and entertainment facilities. Additionally, country managers of Lotte’s retail affiliates in Vietnam visited the National Funeral House in Hanoi, where the general secretary’s body was laid.
GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo visited the embassy, Friday, with GS Energy CEO Huh Yong-soo and GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong.
Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, who met the deceased in 2014 in Korea, also visited the embassy, Friday, and pledged to do his utmost to support Vietnam’s future prosperity and growth.
Daewoo E&C Chairman Jung Won-ju went to the embassy, Thursday, to offer his condolences to the ambassador.