"Oh My, First Time Seeing a Chaebol"... Jung Yong-jin, Who Quit SNS, Suddenly Appears on Variety Show

by Lim Juhyeong

Published 31 May.2024 13:58(KST)

Updated 31 May.2024 15:18(KST)

Reduced SNS Activity After Promotion to Chairman Last March

Jung Yong-jin, chairman of the Shinsegae Group, who has stopped social media (SNS) activities to focus solely on management, was accidentally spotted during the filming of a variety show, drawing public attention.

On the afternoon of the 30th, the tvN variety program 'Let's Have a Drink' featured Chairman Jung and his wife Han Ji-hee on screen, capturing viewers' interest. During the broadcast, cast members actress Kim Hee-sun and comedian Lee Eun-ji were walking together along Apgujeong Rodeo Street in Seoul when they unexpectedly encountered Chairman Jung.

When the camera caught the chairman and his wife, the production team whispered to the cast, "Chairman Jung is on the terrace of a nearby restaurant." When Kim Hee-sun and Lee Eun-ji turned around, they saw Chairman Jung and his wife sitting on the restaurant terrace, watching the filming site. Surprised, Lee Eun-ji greeted them with "Hello," while Kim Hee-sun hesitated briefly before waving her hand.

Entertainment show appearance of Chung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group [Image source=YouTube capture]

Chairman Jung smiled with his eyes at the camera and waved his hand in greeting. When Lee Eun-ji informed him that they were filming a broadcast, he encouraged them by saying, "Good luck with the filming."

After the brief conversation, Lee Eun-ji excitedly told Kim Hee-sun, "That's Chairman Jung Yong-jin," adding, "It's my first time seeing a chaebol in person. The only Yong-jin I know is Lee Yong-jin." Kim Hee-sun joked, "Shouldn't we at least get a Shinsegae product placement?" which brought laughter from those around.

It is known that the place where Chairman Jung dined with Ms. Han that day was 'The Kitchen Ilpurno' Cheongdam branch, an Italian restaurant operated by the dining specialist company M's Seed. This restaurant is also located in some Shinsegae Department Stores.

Meanwhile, after being promoted to chairman of Shinsegae Group on March 8, Chairman Jung significantly cleaned up his Instagram account. Since then, his SNS activity has noticeably decreased.

Chairman Jung has been recognized as a business leader who actively utilized SNS. Since 2012, he created a personal Instagram account and posted regularly, especially promoting Emart and Shinsegae affiliates directly on his SNS account, which garnered positive consumer responses. However, after his promotion to chairman, he has shown a tendency to focus solely on management rather than influencer activities.

Shinsegae, one of the largest retail groups in South Korea, has recently been caught in fierce competition with e-commerce companies such as Coupang and AliExpress. Last year, Emart, a major Shinsegae affiliate, achieved record sales of 29.4 trillion KRW, but operating profit decreased by 27.3% year-on-year to 188 billion KRW. On March 25, the company began restructuring by accepting voluntary retirement applications from all employees with more than 15 years of service and at the manager level or above.