Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang grills samgyeopsal with Korea's top tech chiefs — Naver's Lee picks up the tab

SK Group's Chey Tae-won: 'Huang drinks better than me'

LG Group's Koo Kwang-mo, the youngest of the four, mans the grill

Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin pays with Naver Pay

All four leave handwritten signatures — including on the table

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang puts his arm around LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo at Hyeongnim Jeoyo, a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongik University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Yonhap]

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's informal dinner with the heads of South Korea's major conglomerates produced a string of memorable moments rarely seen in the country's corporate world.

Huang sat down with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin at Hyeongnim Jeoyo, a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongik University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, starting at 7:10 p.m. Friday.

The four clinked glasses of somaek — a mix of soju and beer — and talked for about two hours. Chey and Lee flanked Huang on either side, while Koo sat across from him.

Koo, the youngest of the four, drew attention by personally mixing the somaek and grilling the pork belly at the table.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang holds up a board bearing the signatures of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin at Hyeongnim Jeoyo, a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongik University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Lee Jeong-wan]

Speaking to reporters outside the restaurant, Koo smiled and said, "I eat samgyeopsal often, but it had been a while since I actually grilled it myself. I grilled a lot."

He added that a separate business meeting with Huang was scheduled for Monday, making Friday's dinner a relaxed occasion for socializing.

As Koo was speaking with reporters, Huang walked over and put his arm around him. "He is a good friend," Huang said, underscoring their rapport.

All four left handwritten signatures at the restaurant. Huang wrote a literal English translation of the restaurant's name — "HEY BROTHER, IT'S ME!" — and also signed the table where the group had been sitting.

Koo left the message "Hyeongnim! Jeoyo! Daebak! ♡" — an enthusiastic cheer — while Lee wrote "Hyeongnim Jeoyo! The best!"

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won hand out snacks to members of the public outside Hyeongnim Jeoyo, a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday, during a dinner that also included LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. [Yonhap]

When asked who would pay the bill, Huang said, "The richest one should."

Lee settled the bill on the spot using a Naver Pay terminal. He also showed Huang how to wrap a piece of grilled pork in a lettuce leaf — a staple of the Korean samgyeopsal experience.

Chey, who has shared drinks with Huang on several previous occasions, marveled at the Nvidia chief's capacity. "He drinks better than I do," Chey said.

Chey also joined Huang in handing out bags of "Honey Banana HBM Chips" — a snack produced by SK Hynix — to bystanders outside the restaurant, joking, "I feel like I've become Santa Claus."

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang samples "HBM Chips," a snack made by SK Hynix, with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won at Hyeongnim Jeoyo, a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Yonhap]

When asked whether he and Huang had discussed business, Chey shook his head. Having already met with Huang separately in Taipei, Taiwan, three days earlier, Chey appeared to keep the evening focused on casual conversation rather than deal-making.

Huang is scheduled to visit LG Group's headquarters in Yeouido and Naver's second campus in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, so the dinner table was evidently not the venue for detailed business talks.

The samgyeopsal dinner marks the start of a packed four-day visit to South Korea, during which Huang plans to meet gaming industry CEOs, AI and robotics startups, and students at Seoul National University.

joze@heraldcorp.com
jeongwan@heraldcorp.com