Reaching Out to Trump

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Looking ahead to the new administration, the business sector in South Korea is striving to find channels to reach U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Here’s more in our next report.

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Throngs of people gathered to purchase expensive apartments bearing the name Donald Trump. Trump visited Korea at around this time, when the Korean economy was just beginning to recover from a financial crisis.

[Soundbite] Donald Trump(1999)

Daewoo Engineering and Construction built buildings bearing Trump's name in seven regions in Korea, paying over 6.86 million U.S. dollars in royalties to use the brand.

[Soundbite] Donald Trump(1999)

Daewoo E&C, the builder of the Trump World Tower, a landmark in Manhattan, still maintains cooperative ties with Trump.

[Soundbite] Im Byung-chae(Strategy and Planning Executive, Daewoo E&C): "His daughter Ivanka was very polite. She was considerate toward business partners during meetings."

However, few Korea businesses apart from Daewoo E&C have personal connections with the U.S. president-elect. Only Edwin Feulner, a former Heritage Foundation president and member of the Trump camp, has ties with Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-yeon, Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong and Asan Foundation chairman Chung Mong-joon. The Korean business sector is scrambling to find channels to reach Trump, paying particular attention to graduates of the Wharton School which Trump attended.