Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong during an on-site inspection in three Middle Eastern countries over the 2023 Chuseok holiday. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea heads into what could be its longest Chuseok holiday in decades — stretching up to ten days from October 3 to 12 — the country’s top business leaders are preparing to use the break less for rest than for recalibration.
With U.S. tariffs, revisions to Korea’s commercial and labor laws, and volatile global markets weighing on the outlook, corporate chiefs are expected to spend the holiday assessing risks, revisiting strategies and preparing for a busy global agenda in the months ahead.
Lee Jae-yong Eyes Overseas Business After Legal Victory
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is widely expected to resume overseas site visits during the holiday, reviving a routine he paused earlier this year amid legal proceedings.
With a Supreme Court ruling in July clearing him of charges, Lee has accelerated his global engagements, including joining President Lee Jae-myung’s economic delegation to the United States in August.
SK’s Chey Tae-won Focused on AI and APEC Summit
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is likely to remain in Korea, using the time to refine the group’s artificial intelligence expansion plans ahead of the conglomerate’s annual CEO seminar, expected in early November.
As head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chey is also spearheading preparations for the APEC CEO Summit in late October, where global technology leaders — including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and possibly OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Apple’s Tim Cook — are anticipated.
Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attends the Osaka–Kansai Expo in Japan (Photo provided by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
Hyundai’s Chung Eui-sun Confronts U.S. Tariffs
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun faces pressing concerns from Washington’s 25 percent tariff on imported cars, a move that threatens competitiveness and profitability for Hyundai and Kia.
He is also expected to review fallout from a recent U.S. immigration raid at a joint Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia. Chung underscored America’s importance earlier this month, calling it Hyundai’s “largest and most critical market” with a “mature customer base.”
LG and POSCO Refine Future Bets
LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo is expected to double down on the group’s “ABC” growth strategy — artificial intelligence, biotechnology and cleantech — while also advancing forays into space-related industries.
He faces headwinds from U.S. tariff pressure, intensifying Chinese competition and uneven performance across businesses. POSCO Chairman Jang In-hwa, meanwhile, plans to inspect overseas operations to strengthen the group’s competitiveness.
Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, appears on stage at a completion ceremony for the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in the city of Savannah of the U.S. state of Georgia in this photo provided by the group on March 27, 2025. (Yonhap)
Other Leaders Take Stock
Hanwha’s Kim Seung-yeon, HD Hyundai’s Kwon Oh-gap and Chung Ki-sun, Hanjin’s Cho Won-tae, and Doosan’s Park Jeong-won are expected to keep a low profile, spending the holiday on rest and internal planning.
Employees Set for a “Golden Holiday”
In line with the broader “work-life balance” trend, many conglomerates are designating October 10 — a Friday between Hangul Day and the weekend — as a special leave day, giving employees up to ten consecutive days off.
LG affiliates, Kia, HD Hyundai, Doosan, POSCO, DL E&C and Hyundai Construction are among those granting or encouraging time off. Samsung has no unified policy, but many employees are expected to use pre-registered annual leave.
The holiday pause comes just ahead of the APEC summit in late October, where Korea’s corporate elite will share the stage with global technology heavyweights. For now, their Chuseok break looks less like a respite and more like a strategic intermission.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
