On the afternoon of January 5, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was seen shopping at the JD MALL Shuangjing store in Beijing. Earlier, Lee had attended the China-South Korea Business Forum, which was jointly hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Circulated online photos show Lee Jae-yong appearing at JD MALL. The images depict Lee dressed in casual attire walking through the mall, occasionally stopping to look at merchandise. A staff member from JD Worldwide stated that Lee also purchased a Labubu to take back with him.

On the evening of the 5th, a reporter contacted a staff member from the JD Home Furnishings section of the mall. The employee mentioned that Lee Jae-yong's group arrived at the mall around 2 p.m., consisting of six or seven people, and included an interpreter.

"At that time, he also came to our home furnishings section for a look around. I didn't recognize him at first; another staff member assisted him. He inquired about products like sofas and toilets," the staff member said, adding that Lee later visited other stores in the mall. Several other mall employees also reported encountering Lee Jae-yong in person.

It was reported that the economic delegation accompanying South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's visit to China was organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country's largest private economic organization. The delegation included over 200 Korean business leaders, such as Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo.