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| Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, poses for a photo with former U.S. President George W. Bush at a hotel in central Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics |
By Jun Ji-hye
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong sat down with former U.S. President George W. Bush in Seoul, discussing the rapidly changing global industrial environment, Samsung said Thursday.
The meeting took place at a hotel in central Seoul, Wednesday, upon Bush's arrival in Korea to attend a memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of ex-President Roh Moo-hyun, his former counterpart, Thursday.
During a 30-minute closed-door meeting, Lee, the de facto head of Samsung Group, reportedly sought advice from the former U.S. president about various global issues including the prolonged trade war between the United States and China.
He also explained what Samsung was seeking in the rapidly changing environment of the global market.
Lee left the hotel, declining to answer reporters' questions about the meeting.
Samsung did not disclose details of the discussion, either, only providing photos of Lee and Bush. In the photos, the two have their arms around each other's shoulders, showing off their friendship.
Lee and Bush last met in October 2015 when the latter visited Korea to attend the opening ceremony of the Presidents Cup in Incheon.
Ties between the family-controlled conglomerate Samsung and the Bush family trace back to the 1990s when the Korean tech giant built its first overseas semiconductor plant in in Austin, Texas.
At the time, Bush was serving as the governor of Texas, and was active in attracting foreign businesses to the city.
Bush participated in the building dedication ceremony of the plant in 1998, expressing his gratitude for Samsung's contribution to the economic growth of Texas.
"Samsung has apparently remained fondly in Bush's memory," an industry source said.
In 2003, Bush's father, former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, participated in an event hosted by Samsung Electronics at its Austin plant to celebrate an investment into nanotechnology.
In 1992, when the late President Bush was in office, he held face-to-face talks at a hotel in Los Angeles with Lee Kun-hee, the hospitalized second-generation chief of Samsung Group and the father of Lee Jae-yong. At the time, the two discussed Samsung's investment proposals, drawing keen attention from media of the two countries.
During his visit to Korea, former U.S. President George W. Bush held a meeting with President Moon Jae-in before attending the memorial service for the late President Roh at Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
