Shinsegae’s Chung meets Trump at Qatar state banquet

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin met with U.S. President Donald Trump during a state banquet in Qatar, part of Trump’s ongoing tour of the Middle East.

According to business sources on Thursday, Chung attended the banquet on Wednesday (local time) in Doha, hosted by Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. As guests were being welcomed, Chung briefly shook hands and exchanged a few words—about 15 seconds—with President Trump. He also greeted Emir Tamim and expressed interest in expanding ties between South Korea and the Middle East.

“Chairman Chung was invited by Emir Tamim, likely due to his standing as an influential Asian business figure with strong U.S. ties,” said an industry insider.

This marks Chung’s second encounter with Trump. Their first meeting took place last December at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Chung stayed for six days at the invitation of Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. At the time, Chung said he and the then president-elect spoke for 10 to 15 minutes during a meal, discussing a range of topics.

Chung has since maintained a personal relationship with Trump Jr. Last month, he hosted Trump Jr. in South Korea and arranged meetings with prominent business leaders in the country.


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