Stanley Druckenmiller Makes First Public Korea Trip for Investment Talks With Samsung, Doosan

Stanley Druckenmiller, the global investor often described as a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in the U.S. economy, is visiting South Korea and meeting executives at major domestic conglomerates including Doosan. The meetings are expected to cover potential investment approaches.

Industry officials said on Sept. 20 that Druckenmiller plans to meet senior executives of Doosan Corp. and Doosan Enerbility at an undisclosed location in Seoul on Sept. 22. He is also known to be planning visits to semiconductor companies including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix during his stay. Meetings with executives at Naver and Coupang are also being discussed. It is the first time Druckenmiller has publicly visited South Korea.

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Industry officials say Druckenmiller came to South Korea in search of new investment targets. With investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure surging, Korean companies have gained importance in key bottleneck areas including memory, semiconductor materials, power-generation equipment and power grids. That shift is seen as one reason for the visit.

In an interview with JPMorgan in February, Druckenmiller said he held sizable investment positions in South Korea and Japan, signaling a favorable view of the potential of Korean companies.

He has also been expanding his energy investments. Duquesne Family Office acquired more than $127 million worth of shares in Argentine oil and gas producer YPF in the first quarter and also initiated an investment in Mexican energy company Vista Energy. That has led to speculation he could decide on additional investment in South Korea's energy industry after meeting Doosan executives. Doosan Enerbility's core businesses include major equipment for nuclear power plants and gas turbines.

Druckenmiller may also show interest in copper clad laminate, or CCL, a key material used in substrates for AI semiconductors that Doosan produces. As he broadens his investment focus to energy, Doosan executives are expected to emphasize the company's growth potential, an industry official said.

He is also set to visit South Korean semiconductor companies. Druckenmiller recently said enthusiasm for investing in AI companies had become excessive. At an investor event in New York on Sept. 10, he said he had cut his AI-industry investment exposure to 20% of the level six months earlier. Market participants say he could decide whether to make additional investments after assessing the growth prospects of Korean chipmakers.

Druckenmiller is one of Wall Street's best-known investors. He is also famous for making large profits in 1992 after correctly betting on a decline in the British pound. He has ties to leading U.S. economic policymakers and is often described as a mentor to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh.

Industry officials say Druckenmiller's Korea trip could become a catalyst for more visits by global economic heavyweights. If more global business leaders expand investment after visiting South Korea, that could prompt a reassessment of the country's standing in industrial supply chains, one industry official said.

Kang Hae-ryeong, Hankyung reporter hr.kang@hankyung.com

Shin Jeong-eun, Hankyung reporter newyearis@hankyung.com