Jensen Huang a rock star as Nvidia, Samsung, Hyundai chiefs celebrate partnership over chicken and beer
Published: 31 Oct. 2025, 14:50
![Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, right, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung hold up glasses at a meeting at a Kkanbu Chicken store in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Oct. 30. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/31/49e427ab-cfaf-4cdc-86ab-f55f066629bd.jpg)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, right, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung hold up glasses at a meeting at a Kkanbu Chicken store in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Oct. 30. [NEWS1]
It looked more like a gathering of old friends than a meeting of global business titans — where the head of one of the world's most valuable company shouted, "It's on them!"
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung met for a casual chimaek — the Korean pairing of fried chicken and beer — at a Kkanbu Chicken restaurant in southern Seoul’s busy Samseong-dong neighborhood. All three were dressed casually, with no ties in sight.
Throughout the evening, Huang was the undeniable star. He signed autographs, posed for photos, and even went table-to-table, handing out pieces of soy-glazed chicken.
By around 8 p.m., the atmosphere was at its peak. Returning from his rounds, Huang stood up and declared, “I have news — the first round is on them!” prompting nearby customers to chant the trio’s names: “Jensen Huang! Lee Jae-yong! Chung Euisun!” Chung responded in kind, standing up and saying, “The second round is on me!”
Moments later, Huang rang the restaurant’s golden bell and shouted in Korean and English, “Everybody, dinner is free!”
Lee and Chung settled the bill. Lee paid for the meals of all diners at the restaurant, while Chung reportedly covered the remaining amount. The total bill came to around 2.5 million won.
Outside, Huang handed out fried chicken, French fries and banana milk to people who had gathered nearby. Around 500 fans, onlookers and reporters crowded the area, prompting police and firefighters to coordinate for safety.
About an hour later, as the gathering wound down, Huang told the two chairmen, the night was the "best day of my life.” As Lee left the restaurant, he reflected, “Happiness isn’t complicated. It’s about good people, good food and a good drink.”
![Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung share a toast during an informal gathering at a chicken restaurant in Seoul on Oct. 30. [KIM KYUNG-ROK]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/31/d388f4c0-f43a-477d-9ae1-abaf1a09ee23.jpg)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung share a toast during an informal gathering at a chicken restaurant in Seoul on Oct. 30. [KIM KYUNG-ROK]
As the three clinked glasses of beer and talked, they often laughed and clapped each other on the shoulder. At one point, they even linked arms in a “love shot,” a Korean drinking gesture between close companions.
Their menu included crispy boneless chicken, garlic soy chicken and cheese balls — all priced in the 20,000 won ($14) range.
They ordered three kinds of fried chicken — crispy boneless chicken, the “Six-Pack” fried chicken and sweet boneless chicken — along with three draft beers and mozzarella sticks. Cheese balls came as a complimentary side.
When Huang showed curiosity about a “somaek tower” — a tall dispenser mixing soju and beer at a nearby table — Lee personally explained how it worked. Soon, bottles of Terra beer and Chamisul soju, a combination Koreans jokingly call “Tesla,” appeared on the table. Linking arms once again, the three toasted each other with a “love shot.”
![Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hands out fried chicken to citizens during a “chimaek” (chicken and beer) gathering with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung at a chicken restaurant in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, on Oct. 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/31/a5d82634-88cb-4f2d-ac03-0729a691e56a.jpg)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hands out fried chicken to citizens during a “chimaek” (chicken and beer) gathering with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung at a chicken restaurant in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, on Oct. 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Observers interpreted Huang’s choice of Kkanbu Chicken as symbolic — a nod to his desire for a “friend-like AI alliance” with Samsung and Hyundai. Nvidia, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor are deepening cooperation in AI chip supply and autonomous driving technologies.
Before entering the restaurant, Huang told reporters, "I have many incredible partners here, and we have many announcements to make. Plenty to talk about."
When asked if he knew the meaning of kkanbu — a Korean slang term for “close friends” — he replied with a grin that he loved chicken and beer, especially with friends, adding that kkanbu was the perfect name for the place.
Once seated, Huang presented Lee and Chung with white gift boxes containing bottles of 25-year-old Hakushu, a Japanese single malt whiskey, and Nvidia’s compact AI supercomputer, the DGX Spark.
A signed card inside the box for Lee read, “Jay. To our partnership and future of the world.”
![Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers remarks during the GeForce Gamer Festival at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Oct. 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/31/5f284233-c205-41b9-a19a-cddeed9b25b5.jpg)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers remarks during the GeForce Gamer Festival at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Oct. 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
After the chimaek gathering, Huang attended an event at nearby COEX celebrating the 25th anniversary of Nvidia’s GeForce graphics card in Korea, joined again by Lee and Chung.
On stage, Huang recalled Nvidia's roots in game PCs, saying Korea, with its "PC bang" culture, and the tech firm together "made Esports a global phenomenon."
"Nvidia has been in Korea for a very long time. [...] We grew up together," he said.
He recalled a story from 1996 when late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee sent him a letter inviting Nvidia to collaborate on what he called the world’s first “video game Olympics.”
![Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, center, greets the audience alongside Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung during the GeForce Gamer Festival at Coex Square in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on the night of Oct. 30, celebrating the 25th anniversary of GeForce in Korea. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/31/392136c4-9344-483c-bf36-0b29a8fe4306.jpg)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, center, greets the audience alongside Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung during the GeForce Gamer Festival at Coex Square in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on the night of Oct. 30, celebrating the 25th anniversary of GeForce in Korea. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Taking the stage afterward, Lee quipped, “Thank you. But why are there so many iPhones here?” He added that GeForce had used Samsung’s GDDR memory chips. Introducing Huang, Lee said, “He’s not only a business leader I deeply respect but also my friend — he’s visionary, bold and full of heart.”
Chung added that he played video games with his children and expected Nvidia chips would soon power not only games but also cars and robots.
On Friday, Huang is scheduled to travel to Gyeongju for a special address at the APEC CEO Summit, where he will meet again with Lee and Chung, as well as SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KI-HWAN, KIM SU-MIN, LEE GA-RAM, SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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