Samsung lands in Seoul after executive chair returns from overseas business trip

Samsung flew from Boeing Field in Seattle to Gimpo International Airport in Seoul on June 16, 2026, after a 10-hour, 48-minute crossing aboard the Boeing 787-8 BBJ HL8508. The flight path traces a route from the Pacific Northwest, where Samsung maintains semiconductor R&D links with Silicon Valley and Boeing's manufacturing hub, back to the company's Korean headquarters.

The same week the jet touched down in Seoul, Samsung Electronics was host to a series of high-stakes AI meetings. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Samsung Digital City in Suwon on June 15 to deliver a lecture on AI transformation to the DX Division, per the Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang concluded a five-day Korea visit on June 9 that included a one-on-one meeting with Samsung Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun to discuss HBM4 supply and foundry cooperation, as reported by MK and the Seoul Economic Daily. Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong was on an overseas business trip during those talks and returned aboard this flight.

The arrival caps a busy week for Samsung's top leadership. Recent flight records show the aircraft had shuttled from Chicago to New York on June 7, and from New York to London on June 9, suggesting Lee's itinerary included a state visit to Italy with President Lee Jae-myung — where Jensen Huang and Sam Altman both made separate trips to Seoul to secure Samsung's role in the next-generation AI chip supply chain.