As the heads of major domestic groups finished a golf meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun reportedly told President Trump at the event that "there is great expectation for the visit to Korea and everyone is working together to prepare well," drawing attention.
With Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations at an impasse and Hyundai Motor Group suffering direct damage from tariff disputes, the chairman's mention of "a visit to Korea" to President Trump has prompted various speculations in the business community about the outlook for bilateral tariff talks. President Trump is scheduled to attend the 2025 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) leaders' meeting in Gyeongju, which opens Oct. 31.
On the 18th local time at Trump's West Palm Beach Trump International Golf Club in Florida, a golf event was held that brought together corporate leaders from Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Because President Trump, who holds the key to tariff policy, attended the event hosted by SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son, the business community could not help but focus on what conversations took place among them.
Among domestic business leaders, Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, Koo Kwang-mo, chairman of LG Group, and Kim Dong-kwan, vice chairman of Hanwha Group, were invited to and attended the event.
President Trump was paired with event host Masayoshi Son, and it is reported that no domestic business leader was assigned to that group.
Chairman Chung Eui-sun's greeting to President Trump is believed to have taken place at a side event rather than on the golf course. Trump's golf group included professional golfers Gary Player and Bryson DeChambeau.
Separate from massive U.S. investments, Chairman Chung Eui-sun donated $1 million through a U.S. subsidiary to the inauguration of President Trump in January. In February, at the PGA Tour tournament "2025 Genesis Invitational," he also met Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, and sought to cultivate a friendly relationship with the Trump administration.
In March, he met President Trump in person at the White House in Washington, D.C., while announcing a U.S. investment plan worth about 31 trillion won. At the time, President Trump welcomed Hyundai Motor Group's investment, saying, "This is beautiful news. This is the tariff effect." Chairman Chung Eui-sun later attended the opening ceremony of the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Ellabell, Georgia.
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