Shinsegae’s Chung Yong-jin meets US Vice President J.D. Vance and White House officials, discusses cooperation around an AI export program

Summary

South Korean media report that Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin attended a Christmas dinner hosted by US Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington, meeting senior US political and business figures and separately speaking with White House science/tech officials. The reporting says Chung discussed possible cooperation related to a US “AI export program,” described as a plan to export an AI technology ‘package’ abroad—suggesting the US is treating AI supply chains and deployment stacks as exportable strategic assets, not just domestic capabilities. For Korean conglomerates, the significance is twofold: it’s an access path to US-led AI ecosystems (compute, software, compliance) and also a way to navigate tightening geopolitics around AI technology transfer. For the broader AI competitive landscape, it’s another data point that AI policy is increasingly being operationalized through programs and partnerships, not only through restrictions and bans. The subtext: “who gets to export AI” is becoming as important as “who builds the best model,” because exports can lock in standards, customers, and long-term dependency.