Jeong Yong jin: Controversial billionaire influencer
Introduction
Jeong Yong-jin, also known as YJ, is a South Korean businessman, the vice chairman of Shinsegae Group
The use of soical meida to build online presence
It is not common for owners of conglomerates in Korea to post on their personal social media accounts except for official activities. but Yong jin has been actively using Instagram, such as disclosing the small details of his daily lives.
Posts on Instagram showing him playing golf, cooking and spending time with his family in a friendly way were well-received, establishing him as an ‘influencer’ with over 842,000 followers.
At the same time, he naturally introduces new products from his companies ‘No Brand’ and ‘J Leela’ products or promote the professional baseball team ‘SSG Landers’.
The reason why Yong jin uses social media well is not just because he is a young CEO, but because he has the sense to quickly read trends and attract attention. He has been actively using Twitter since the 2010s, and has the tendency to be an early adopter of social media, with Clubhouse, once again becoming the center of attention in 2022.
Food photos, which account for the most of Yong jin’s Instagram, go beyond introducing hidden restaurants and are directly connected to the development of his own brands, playing an important role in creating a sense of familiarity with consumers before launching.
Controversy over the recent posts
Since the end of last year, Yong jin has been controversial by posting a series of posts on Instagram saying, “I hate the Communist Party”, criticizing the South Korean government’s policy toward China. He also attached hashtags about “annihilation of communism” and “unification of victory over communism.”
Vice Chairman Chung’s posting of this post is interpreted as an attempt to express his dissatisfaction with Instagram’s recent decision to delete his post tagged ‘destruction of communism’ on the grounds that it violated the guidelines of ‘violence and incitement’.
Positive and negative impacts
The social media activities of Yongjin could be evaluated positively in that they provide a glimpse into the lifestyles and thoughts of the wealthy, which are difficult to encounter, and introduce the company’s activities in a friendly way. From the perspective of managing the CEO image, it is considered an advantage in that it provides a channel through which a positive image can be easily spread to the public.
However, on the other hand, if controversy arises, it can be a factor that has a negative impact on the company’s reputations, so there are many negative views. Every time Yong jin posts something related to the Communist Party, there are voices of concern both inside and outside the group that it may have a negative impact on Shinsegae Group’s business in China.
Yong jin’s social media activities are as risky as it is influential. When it is used inappropriately and becomes the subject of gossip, it can have a negative impact on the company, so it is crucial for him to communicate with a sense of responsibility as a public figure.
Conclusion
The social media of a company owner whose every word attracts attention can be an important means of promoting the company and has its advantages.It is good to use it strategically, but it should not be a tool to reveal personal thoughts and feelings without filtering.
