Samsung Chair Lee Jae-yong is now a viral meme

People

Published: 08 Dec. 2023, 13:47 Updated: 08 Dec. 2023, 14:15

Samsung Chair Lee Jae-yong is now a viral meme

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong was pictured making a shushing gesture during his visit to Bupyeong Kkangtong Market on Wednesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Lee Jae-yong, executive chairman of Samsung Electronics and heir to the Samsung empire, has become a meme. A photo of his jocular expression, contrasting his usual calm and collected public demeanor, has been circulating on social media, with many calling it a side of the chairman not seen before.

The chairman was pictured making a shushing hand gesture while looking directly into the camera during his visit to the Bupyeong Kkangtong Market in Busan.

Lee, along with other major conglomerate executives from LG, SK, Hanwha, HD Hyundai and more had visited the market Wednesday alongside President Yoon Suk Yeol to support the development of Busan as a “global hub,” regardless of Korea’s failure to secure hosting rights for World Expo 2030 last week.

tteokbokki tteokbokki tteokbokkiPresident Yoon Suk Yeol, fourth from right, and business leaders of major conglomerates eat tteokbokki, or spicy rice cakes, during a visit to Bupyeong Kkangtong Market in Busan on Wednesday. From left, SK Group Executive Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyosung CEO and Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, Yoon, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan and HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun. [YONHAP]

SME and Startups Minister Lee Young, who was at the scene when the photo was taken, explained the story behind the now viral picture of the executive on her Facebook page.

“Chairman Lee’s popularity was sky-high. While the entire market was full of chants calling out the president, the voices of merchants calling for Chairman Lee could be heard even through the commotion,” she wrote.

“As there were people asking to take photos and shake hands everywhere they went, it could have been that he made the gesture to [ask people to] lower their voices since the president was around,” she speculated.

Another person who witnessed the scene said the chairman screwed up his nose and put his index finger to his lips after a citizen said to him, “You’re handsome, Mr. Chairman.”

Lee Jae-yong was also heard saying “Why are there so many iPhones?” to citizens who took photos of the group with their smartphones.

The president and conglomerate leaders ate tteokbokki — spicy rice cakes — along with bindaetteok, or mungbean pancakes, and bibimdangmyeon, which is a Busan specialty that mixes glass noodles with vegetables and red pepper sauce.

Local reports characterized the public display, headed by Yoon, as an attempt to appease Busan voters following the defeat of the city's expo bid, especially in light of the administration's faltering approval ratings in recent opinion polls in Busan and South Gyeongsang.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]