Samsung exec hitching a ride for the White House - with the Blue House

Being a top Samsung executive must be exciting; at least in the sense that there would be no such thing as “just another day at the office”. Take the Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam, the man in charge of its massive semiconductor division, as an example, who is the CEO of Samsung as well. The man is reportedly packing his bags for the White House. He's splitting the ride with the “Blue House” (Cheongwadae), i.e., joining South Korea's presidential delegation that's flying to Washington early next week.

And when there's one President around, you can be sure there's another. The delegation is primarily landing in the U.S. to meet with the Biden administration. Kim's level of involvement in the proceedings is unclear. Though he's not the only senior chaebol exec to be flying with President Moon Jae-in. Kim Jong-hyun, the chief executive of LG Chem subsidiary LG Energy Solution, is also believed to be on the prestigious itinerary. Hyundai chairman Chung Euisun is missing the flight, however.

While the presidents talk North Korea, executive itineraries remain a puzzle

Seoul is expecting the stateside summit to pave the way for an even stronger alliance with the United States moving forward, according to local media reports. For now, the details of Kim's planned visit remain a complete unknown. The Seoul delegation is expected to be discussing everything from North Korea to semiconductor investments.

Speaking of which, it's likely that Samsung will want to seize the opportunity to officially announce its $17 billion chipmaking investment in the U.S. Presumably alongside not one but two Presidents. Talk about a power move, eh?

Dominik Bosnjak

Business Samsung Electronics