Many key figures from Korea and abroad attended a concert celebrating the release of the debut album by flutist Han Ji-hee, the wife of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin. Attendees included Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of U.S. President Donald Trump, and his fiancée Bettina Anderson; The Born Korea CEO Paik Jong-won and actor So Yu-jin; former baseball player Choo Shin-soo and his spouse; actors Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young; actor Lee Min-jung; actor Ma Dong-seok; rapper Simon Dominic; and other leaders from business and the culture and entertainment industry.
According to the business community on the 29th, Han, the spouse of Chairman Chung, held a debut album release concert at 7 p.m. at Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Han recently released her first album, "Carl Reinecke: Works for Flute," on the global classical label Deutsche Grammophon.
The album includes the Flute Concerto in D major and the Ballade in d minor for flute and orchestra, performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. It also features the Sonata "Undine" for flute and piano, performed with world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.
Chung and Han held a private wedding in May 2011 at the Westin Josun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. Han, a flutist, is also known as the daughter of former Korean Air Lines Vice President Han Sang-beom.
The concert reportedly was an all-invitation event with no public ticket sales. Chairman Chung appeared in person at the venue, and Donald Trump Jr., who has close ties to Chung, also attended. Trump Jr. entered Korea on the 28th for business.
Before the performance, Chairman Chung personally greeted Trump Jr. and his partner, Benita Anderson, in the concert hall lobby, shaking hands in turn and sharing a light hug. When an audience member handed over a red "TRUMP" hat, commonly called a "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) hat, Trump Jr. signed it and returned it.
Leaders from business, the entertainment industry, and sports gathered at the concert to congratulate Chung and Han. Chung Yong-jin's sister, Chung Yoo-kyung, chairman of Shinsegae Co., and her husband, Moon Sung-uk, CEO of Shinsegae Live Shopping, also attended. Since late 2024, Shinsegae Group has shifted to an independent management structure in which Chairman Chung Yong-jin and Chairwoman Chung Yoo-kyung respectively oversee the E-MART and department store institutional sectors.
Misha Raskin, founder of the U.S. AI startup "Reflection AI," which Chung met through an introduction by Trump Jr., also attended the concert.
Trump Jr.'s attendance was seen as once again highlighting the close ties between Chairman Chung and the Trump family. Early last year, Chairman Chung attended President Donald Trump's inauguration with his wife, Han, and was invited to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private resort in Palm Beach, Florida. In April last year, Trump Jr. visited Korea at Chung's invitation and met with domestic business leaders.
The relationship between Chairman Chung and Trump Jr. extends beyond personal ties to a business link. As Shinsegae Group pursues a domestic hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) data center project, Misha Raskin, founder of the U.S. company Reflection AI, known as a partner in the effort, is also said to have connected with Chung through Trump Jr. Last month, Shinsegae Group signed a strategic agreement with Reflection AI and announced plans to build a large AI data center in Korea.