Shinsegae chair meets Donald Trump Jr., may encounter President-elect Trump and Elon Musk

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., during his two-day stay at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin, center, poses for a photo with Donald Trump Jr., right, and Trump Jr.'s reported girlfriend. Chung posted the photo along with one taken with Trump on his personal Instagram. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., during his two-day stay at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Chung is staying at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday and Thursday, a Shinsegae spokesperson told The Korea Economic Daily. The chairman made the visit by invitation from Trump Jr., with the stay reportedly scheduled months ago.

Their December meeting marks the fourth time this year that Trump Jr. has met with Chung, either publicly or unofficially. The previous three came during his visits to Korea.

Chung shared photos of the two on his personal Instagram on Jan. 31, which belatedly garnered attention from the Korean public in recent months.

During his stay at Mar-a-Lago, Chung and Trump Jr. are expected to discuss their businesses and other topics. Trump is also rumored to be at the resort during this time.

President-elect Trump will greet guests at a “candlelight dinner” hosted by the Super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. on Thursday, according to The Washington Post. The entry fee is $1 million per person, with extra donations offering “preferred seating.”

If Chung attends the event, he may also meet Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is reportedly staying at the Florida resort. Musk, head of Trump’s proposed advisory body, the Department of Government Efficiency, has donated at least $260 million to Trump’s election campaign, according to government filings.

Chung is the eldest son of Shinsegae chairperson Lee Myung-hee, the younger sister of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee and aunt to current Samsung Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong. He was promoted to chairman of Shinsegae Group in March this year.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]