South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held a luncheon with the Korean diaspora and participated in a Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup on May 25 (local time) in San Francisco, the second day of his 7-night-11-day Latin America tour. The meetup followed his previous meetings with global AI company CEOs and aimed to expand cooperation from technology to capital partnerships. The Blue House stated the event would strengthen ties between Korea-US innovation ecosystems through partnerships between the National Pension Service and leading global venture capital firms.
President Lee Holds Luncheon with Korean Diaspora in San Francisco
President Lee held a luncheon meeting with Korean diaspora on May 25 (local time) in San Francisco, according to the Blue House. The event brought together Korean business leaders and scientists working in the western United States. The president provided encouragement to Korean economic and technology professionals active in the region.
National Pension Service Signs MOUs with Six Global Venture Capital Firms
The afternoon Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup included six prominent global venture capital firms: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The event proceeded in two phases, beginning with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between the National Pension Service and the participating VCs, followed by a roundtable discussion format. President Lee discussed Korea-US venture ecosystem cooperation strategies with representatives from the attending firms.
Blue House Outlines Expected Partnership Outcomes
The Blue House stated the meeting would establish long-term partnerships between the National Pension Service and global VCs while strengthening connections between Korea-US innovation ecosystems. The administration expects the partnerships to expand the foundation for Korean startups to attract overseas investment and enter global markets. Observers noted the significance of President Lee meeting Silicon Valley's leading investors immediately after his discussions with NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Broadcom CEOs the previous day, characterizing the sequence as an expansion from technology cooperation to capital cooperation.
President Lee Departs for Brazil Following Silicon Valley Schedule
President Lee departed San Francisco International Airport on the evening of May 25 (local time) for Brazil, the second destination of his tour. The president is scheduled to hold a summit with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília to discuss economic security cooperation in supply chains, energy, critical minerals, and defense industries. Following the Brazil visit, President Lee will sequentially visit Chile and Argentina to continue summit diplomacy focused on expanding economic cooperation and supply chain linkages with Latin American countries. The tour will conclude with a visit to Germany.
FAQ
What did President Lee Jae-myung do on May 25 in San Francisco?
President Lee held a luncheon with Korean diaspora and participated in a Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup on May 25 (local time) in San Francisco. The meetup included an MOU signing ceremony between the National Pension Service and six global venture capital firms, followed by a roundtable discussion.
Which venture capital firms participated in the Silicon Valley meetup?
Six global venture capital firms participated: Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The event included an MOU signing ceremony with the National Pension Service and a roundtable format discussion.
