Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Samsung, Hyundai chiefs get chummy over fried chicken and beer in Seoul

SEOUL - In a rare display of camaraderie among global business titans, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group executive chairman Chung Eui-sun gathered for a casual dinner of Korean fried chicken and beer in Seoul on the evening of Oct 30 – a meeting that turned heads and drew crowds.

The three moguls met at around 7.30pm at Kkanbu Chicken, a popular restaurant near Samseong station on Subway Line No. 2, in the affluent Gangnam district.

“Kkanbu”, a slang term for “close friend”, rose to global fame after its mention in the Netflix hit series Squid Game.

According to industry sources, the venue was selected by Nvidia.

The gathering – which quickly became known as the “chimaek summit”, a portmanteau of “chicken” and “maekju” (beer) – featured lighthearted moments, including the trio clinking glasses in a “love shot”, a symbolic gesture of closeness often seen in Korean drinking culture.

Crowds gathered around the restaurant, hoping to catch a glimpse of the high-profile dinner.

Arriving about 10 minutes ahead of schedule, Mr Huang greeted citizens warmly, posed for selfies and offered friendly waves.

True to form, he sported his signature black leather jacket, this time layered over a black Burberry T-shirt.

As he approached the venue, reporters peppered him with questions regarding his upcoming visit to the Apec summit in Gyeongju and Nvidia’s partnership with Samsung in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) development.

“I’m looking forward to seeing your President tomorrow at Apec, and South Korea and Nvidia have many announcements, and I have many incredible partners here, and we have many announcements to make,” Mr Huang said.

“I just arrived (in South Korea). We just landed a few hours ago. Plenty to talk about (regarding HBM with Samsung Electronics). We will talk about many things,” he added.

Mr Lee wore a white knit sweater under a jacket, while Mr Chung opted for a casual combination of a white T-shirt, a zip-up hoodie and a sleeveless vest.

The trio sat by the window, shaking hands and making toasts with glasses of beer.

Their table reportedly featured menu staples like crispy boneless chicken and garlic-soy glazed chicken, both priced in the 20,000 won range (S$18.20).

After taking a sip of beer, Mr Huang shook his head and exclaimed, “Wow,” drawing laughter from the room.

As the dinner unfolded, Mr Huang presented his hosts with gifts: a bottle of Japan’s famed Suntory Hakushu 25-year-old single malt whisky and Nvidia’s DGX artificial intelligence system.

The label on the whisky read: “To our partnership and future of the world.”

Demonstrating his characteristic warmth, Mr Huang later stepped outside to distribute small gifts to nearby citizens.

Meanwhile, Mr Lee and Mr Chung remained inside, chatting with guests and signing autographs.

The gathering wrapped up around 8.35pm, with the three executives stepping out holding bowls of leftover chicken, which they distributed to the onlookers.

As he left, Mr Lee shared a rare personal remark with the press: “Now that the US tariff issues are settled, I’m realising happiness can be found in small things – like good food.”

As the evening drew to a close, attention turned to who would pick up the tab among the three billionaires.

“Dinner’s on me tonight,” Mr Lee reportedly said, prompting cheers from onlookers chanting Mr Huang’s name.

Mr Huang, amused by the crowd’s reaction, laughed and playfully declared: “Everybody, dinner is free!”

Mr Lee initially covered the bill, including the cost of meals for other patrons who were dining at the restaurant at the time.

The remaining balance was later paid by Mr Chung. THE KOREA HERALD/ANN