Chung Yong-jin, chairman of South Korean retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group, attended a Christmas dinner hosted by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and met White House officials and business leaders. Ahead of the dinner, he visited the White House to discuss cooperation on U.S. AI export programs. Chung serves as Asia chairman of the Rockbridge Network, founded by Vance.
On December 14, 2025, Shinsegae Group announced that Chairman Chung Yong-jin attended a Christmas dinner hosted by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington. The year-end event took place Friday evening (U.S. time) at Vance's residence, bringing together White House senior officials and American business leaders.
Attendees included U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Business figures present were former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Palantir Technologies Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar. Members of the Rockbridge Network, an organization founded by Vance, also joined; Chung serves as its Asia chairman and sits on the board of Rockbridge Network Korea, launched in October.
Prior to the dinner, Chung visited the White House and met with officials, including Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. They discussed ways to cooperate on U.S. artificial intelligence export programs, with Chung expressing interest in adopting advanced technologies to modernize distribution systems.
The meeting highlights strengthening U.S.-South Korea tech ties, aligning with Shinsegae's global expansion efforts. The Rockbridge Network, a conservative policy group, underscores Chung's role in expanding Korean business influence in the U.S.
