Chung Mong-joon to attend memorial service for 'old friend' Kissinger

Chung Mong-joon, founder and honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, will fly to New York to attend the memorial service for the late Dr. Henry Alfred Kissinger set for Jan. 25.

Late Dr. Henry Kissinger, left, who served as the U.S. secretary of state, met with Chung Mong-joon, founder and honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, in New York in January, 2023. [HD HYUNDAI]

Chung Mong-joon, founder and honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, will fly to New York to attend the memorial service for the late Dr. Henry Alfred Kissinger set for Jan. 25.

Chung was invited to the service to commemorate the former U.S. Secretary of State and deliver a message of condolence to his wife Nancy Kissinger at the memorial service.

"Dr. Kissinger is my old friend and mentor. Dr. Kissinger’s scholarly and intellectual achievements have influenced how people around the world view the United States and our world order," Chung said in a statement of commemoration.

"I would like to share with you a Korean perspective on the contributions that he made to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," Chung said. "We will always remember his wisdom and miss his insights as we continue to navigate a tumultuous world."

Chung Mong-joon

Chung's relationship with Kissinger started 16 years ago when they met in the United States in January 2008. In 2010, Kissinger again paid a visit to Korea for the 1st Asan Memorial Lecture themed “Nuclear North Korea and Northeast Asia,” and met with Chung, who is also the largest shareholder of HD Hyundai.

Most recently, Chung and Kissinger met in January last year in New York to discuss the international affairs surrounding Korea at that time.

From 2008 to 2023, Chung had official and private meetings with Dr. Kissinger more than 10 times.

In November, Chung published a tribute to Kissinger on his passing calling him a "Friend of Korea."

Kissinger served as the National Security Adviser to President Richard Nixon and as Secretary of State during the Gerald R. Ford administration.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]