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High-profile meetup causes surge in Kkanbu Chicken demand

Published: 02 Nov. 2025, 16:27 Updated: 02 Nov. 2025, 17:31

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, right, shares a chicken meal with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, front left, and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung at a Kkanbu Chicken branch in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on Oct. 30. [NEWS1]

A casual chicken-and-beer meetup between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung at a Kkanbu Chicken branch in southern Seoul on Thursday has propelled the Korean fried chicken chain into the spotlight, forcing its store in Yongin, Gyeonggi to temporarily close due to a surge in demand.

The Suji District branch in Yongin, the first in the Kkanbu franchise, closed on Saturday and Sunday after receiving more orders than it could handle, according to a notice posted at the store.

“Due to more orders than expected, we will be temporarily closed from Saturday to Sunday to ensure smooth service,” the notice read. “We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to serving you again with better quality and service.”

The sudden rise in popularity followed a high-profile visit by the three business leaders to the franchise’s branch in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

Huang, who reportedly chose the location himself, appeared in casual clothing.

"I really like chicken and also enjoy beer, especially when sharing them with friends," he said. "That’s why I thought Kkanbu was the perfect place for such a gathering."

The so-called “Kkanbu meeting” went viral almost immediately. Kkanbu Chicken briefly topped search rankings on food delivery platforms such as Baemin (also known as Baedal Minjok) and Coupang Eats. Some branches paused delivery orders altogether, citing overwhelming demand.

“There are already too many in-store and takeout customers — we just can’t manage deliveries on top of that,” one franchise owner said.

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 SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]