Shinsegae Group said on Thursday its Chairman Chung Yong-jin (정용진) attended the launch ceremony of Foundry School held on Sept. 3 local time at the Trump Peace Institute in Washington.

Foundry School is a U.S. State Department-led project to nurture future talent to lead manufacturing and advanced industries by linking industry, academia and research. The State Department planned it with Stanford University. It aims for industry and academia to work together to pass on the know-how and strategies of innovative companies to future generations.

It is one strategy to put into practice Pax Silica, an economic security multilateral consultative body launched in December last year under U.S. leadership. South Korea is participating in Pax Silica together with Japan, Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands and Britain, among others. Chung's attendance was arranged at the invitation of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the U.S. State Department.

Jacob Helberg (제이콥 헬버그), the U.S. State Department under secretary for economic affairs who hosted the event, met Chung and said, "The partnership between Shinsegae Group and ReflectionAI is an important milestone in South Korea-U.S. cooperation in advanced industries." He said, "Chairman Chung Yong-jin is a reliable partner in the AI supply chain alliance."

Misha Laskin (미샤 라스킨), CEO of ReflectionAI, Shinsegae Group's AI data centre partner, also spoke as a presenter and thanked Chung by name. Laskin said, "Cooperation with Shinsegae Group underway under Chairman Chung Yong-jin's leadership shows a solid South Korea-U.S. partnership and is a good example of how the United States and its allies can move together in practice." He said, "By strengthening partnerships with allies, we will be able to spur technological innovation and lead economic development around the world."

Shinsegae Group signed a partnership with ReflectionAI in South Korea in March for a large-scale AI data centre project and is now carrying out working-level tasks such as establishing a joint venture and selecting a site. The cooperation drew attention as the first project under an 'AI export programme' promoted by the U.S. State Department.

The company side said Shinsegae Group's projects in the United States, including an AI data centre construction project, are expected to gain further momentum. Chung said, "Successfully leading an advanced-industry supply chain alliance centred on the United States is a task of our times." He said, "If South Korea and the United States join forces, we will be able to generate greater synergies." He added, "Cooperation between Shinsegae Group and ReflectionAI aligns with the goals of Foundry School." He said, "Excellent talent is essential for advanced industries represented by AI to develop, and Shinsegae Group will also gather and cultivate talent through ceaseless creative innovation."