Trump Jr. to visit Korea next week

Donald Trump Jr. will visit Korea next week to meet industry figures at the request of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin.

Chung Yong-jin, chairman of the Shinsegae Group at left, and Donald Trump Jr. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Donald Trump Jr., the son of U.S. President Donald Trump, will visit Korea next week and meet industry figures, Emart confirmed Wednesday.

Trump Jr. will visit Korea at Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin's request, according to an Emart spokesperson. Chung, Emart's majority shareholder, attended President Donald Trump's inauguration virtually through a livestream at Washington's Capital One Arena.

Trump Jr. will arrive on April 28 and stay for two nights, according to media reports. This will be his first visit to Korea since his father's inauguration in January.

“There have been requests made to Chairman Chung Yong-jin to act as a bridge of communication with the Trump administration,” a source with knowledge of the matter told the Korea JoongAng Daily. “He stepped up and took the job as someone close to Trump Jr.”

Donald Trump Jr., center, arrives in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 7. [AP/YONHAP]

Trump Jr.'s visit to Korea follows the United States' imposition of a 25 percent tariff on the nation earlier this month, which has since been put off for 90 days. The looming levy and resulting economic uncertainty has worsened investor sentiment in the domestic market, especially surrounding companies that rely heavily on imports and exports.

Shinsegae Group did not confirm Trump Jr.'s agenda or the specific people he plans to meet.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]