This article is by Kim Su-min, Na Sang-hyeon and read by an artificial voice.

Top Korean conglomerate leaders are heading to the United States this week to help break a deadlock in Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations and to discuss a proposed $400 billion AI infrastructure project led by SoftBank.
SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son recently proposed the visit to a group of Korea's top corporate chiefs, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, according to business sources on Wednesday.
Kim Dong-kwan, vice chairman of Hanwha Group, may also join, as the two countries continue to negotiate terms around the so-called MASGA initiative - Korea's proposal for bilateral shipbuilding cooperation with the United States, or "Make American Shipping Great Again," made during its tariff negotiations with the Donald Trump administration.
The business leaders' trip coincides with an official U.S. visit by Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan. Both are scheduled to meet counterparts in Washington on Thursday for follow-up discussions.
Korea and the United States are seeking to narrow differences over the formation and management of a $350 billion U.S.-bound investment fund. The group of conglomerate leaders previously visited the United States in late August to support negotiations ahead of the Korea-U.S. summit.
Another major topic on the agenda is Stargate, a proposed $500 billion investment to build next-generation AI data centers in the United States. Son previously announced plans to create a joint venture with OpenAI and Oracle to execute the project over the next four years.
Observers expect Korean companies to play a key role in the project, especially in areas such as semiconductors, energy infrastructure and capital investment.
Samsung's Lee and Chung also met with Son in Tokyo while attending the Korea-U.S.-Japan economic dialogue, known as TED, held Tuesday and Wednesday at Keidanren Hall. The two are expected to travel directly from Japan to the United States to continue discussions.

The meeting with Son and other business leaders is set to take place at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where a face-to-face with President Trump, who owns the estate, is also reportedly being arranged.
"Ahead of the APEC summit, both government and industry appear to be going all-in to make progress on the negotiations," one industry official said. "There is also the possibility of a sudden meeting with President Trump."
During the TED forum in Tokyo, supply-chain vulnerabilities linked to China emerged as a key topic. Participants reportedly agreed on the need for greater trilateral cooperation.
The Korea-U.S.-Japan economic dialogue is a private sector-driven forum that brings together political and business leaders to discuss strategic economic issues. The first event was held in the United States in 2023, followed by a second forum in Seoul in September last year.
This year's session was hosted by Keidanren and organized by the 21st Century Policy Institute, a U.S.-based think tank. More than 100 officials from governments, parliaments and companies from the three countries took part.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

Ver todos los episodios