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Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, delivers a welcome speech at the completion ceremony of the Meta Plant America in Georgia, U.S., on March 26. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

As U.S. President Donald Trump, the global trade strongman, tightens his grip on key Korean industries like semiconductors and automobiles with every new tariff threat, South Korea finds itself with no government actively negotiating on its behalf. With months of governance paralyzed by martial law and impeachment, the nation is now hurtling into a presidential election just two months away. Rarely has the phrase “an age of upheaval” felt more apt.

At the forefront of this crisis stand Korea’s corporate titans. Pushed to the edge, the heads of conglomerates are now navigating a silent battlefield of tariffs rising by 25% at a time. Bearing the fate of entire business empires, they’ve mobilized large-scale public affairs teams to decode shifting geopolitical winds. To mitigate risks, they’ve overhauled supply chains and relocated production bases.

The response? A cascade of mega-investments worth tens of trillions of won. Corporations have launched massive factory projects in the U.S., even working with rivals like GM in a rare show of unity. At the center of it all, group chairmen themselves are stepping onto the global stage—making bold decisions amid the disruptive surge of generative AI and realigning for the next 100 years of business. These are calls only they can make.

Trump's trade war has only just begun. And in less than two months, South Korea will elect its 21st president—introducing yet another layer of political and policy uncertainty. For conglomerates, it’s time once again to revise corporate strategy in anticipation of regulatory shifts and electoral outcomes.

In response, ASIATODAY is launching a special series following the bold and often solitary moves of Korea’s business leaders as they steer their groups through this global realignment.

We begin with Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. Amid the turmoil, Chung made a lasting impression in the U.S. by donating to wildfire relief efforts—a gesture that resonated deeply with locals. His private “golf meeting” with Donald Trump Jr. and granddaughter Kai Trump was a swift act of outreach in the face of Trump’s 25% tariff warning. After pledging large-scale investments and visiting the White House, Chung received repeated praise from the president: “Great, Hyundai!”

Now, Hyundai’s massive Meta Plant America in Georgia has begun operations. The company has partnered with any willing player—including GM and Toyota—and in spite of the fierce Trump-era climate, Hyundai now ranks fourth in total U.S. vehicle sales and second in electric vehicles. Globally, it has risen to third place in car sales, repeatedly breaking records for operating profit in the process.