When will new president meet business leaders?
The absence of businesspeople at President Lee Jae-myung's inauguration ceremony on Wednesday has raised questions about when he will meet the heads of Korea's largest conglomerates. His predecessor, impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, met the chiefs of Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and LG on the first day of his term in 2022, inviting them to both the inauguration and a follow-up banquet. During former President Park Geun-hye's inauguration in 2013, then-chairmen of Hyundai Motor, LG, POSCO and Hanjin attended the event along with the heads of major business lobby groups, while Samsung and SK sent high-level executives on behalf of their chairmen. In contrast, former President Moon Jae-in's inauguration in 2017 did not include any businesspeople, as he assumed office immediately without a transition period following Park's impeachment. That event, attended by only 500 people, had been the smallest presidential inauguration in Korea — until Lee's, which had about 300 attendees. Industry officials expect business leaders to participate in what the presidential office calls the "appo
Jun 5, 2025By Park Jae-hyuk