SK Group Chairman and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) head Chey Tae-won is ramping up his global engagements this week, starting in Peru, followed by visits to Japan and China. His focus on global networking is seen as timely, as South Korea’s Supreme Court continues its review of his divorce case with Ro Soh-yeong, director of Art Center Nabi.
According to industry sources, Chey will travel to Japan on Nov. 22–23 to attend the Tokyo Forum 2024, an event co-hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Tokyo. Launched in 2019, the annual forum gathers scholars from multiple countries to discuss international issues, technological innovation, and environmental concerns.
Chey, who also serves as chairman of the Chey Institute, will deliver an opening address alongside University of Tokyo President Teruo Fujii on Nov. 22. Later in the event, he will participate as a panelist in a business leader session, sharing his insights on how corporations can address societal and environmental challenges through actionable steps.
Chey is also expected to join a Korea-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry presidents’ meeting in Osaka, Japan, later this month. The Korea-Japan presidents’ meetings, an annual tradition since 2001, were suspended in 2018 due to trade tensions and the pandemic but resumed last year after a six-year hiatus.
In early December, Chey is set to travel to Beijing for the 5th annual high-level CEO dialogue between Korea and China. Co-organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), the event alternates between Korea and China each year, gathering business and government leaders from both countries.
Chey’s overseas itinerary begins this week in Peru, where he will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit. Chey, who is chairing the 2025 APEC CEO Summit in South Korea, will receive the gavel from Fernando Zavala, chair of the 2024 APEC CEO Summit, to officially mark the handover. At this event, he plans to unveil next year’s summit theme and agenda.
Looking ahead, Chey may also participate in major events early next year, including the CES 2025 in Las Vegas, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the Trans-Pacific Dialogue (TPD) in Washington, D.C.
Chey has attended CES in recent years and could use the 2025 event to highlight SK’s collaboration with Nvidia, particularly as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to deliver the keynote speech. This could also provide a platform to discuss SK’s expanding efforts in AI ecosystem development.
The TPD, slated for Febr. 21–22, could also see Chey meeting U.S. political and business leaders in Washington, D.C. The forum, hosted by the Chey Institute, gathers high-level officials and prominent thinkers from S. Korea, the U.S., and Japan to discuss pressing global issues and explore avenues for cooperation.
