Jensen Huang's "Samso Gathering" Bill Paid by Naver... "HBM Chips" Shared with Citizens (Comprehensive)

Samgyeopsal and Somaek Gathering at "Hyungnim Jeoyo" in Hongdae
Toast: "Cheers! Go Korea! SK, LG, Naver!"
Taking Selfies with Nearby Diners and Chatting with Children
Handing Out HBM Chips, Donuts, and Bungeoppang Snacks to Citizens
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Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, along with the leaders of major Korean conglomerates such as SK, LG, and Naver, began a dinner gathering on June 5th, accompanied by samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), soju, and beer. The group interacted freely with citizens by taking commemorative photos and, as was the case during last year's 'Kkanbu Meeting,' handed out snacks to the public, demonstrating a close connection with attendees.

Around 6:52 p.m. that evening, Kwangmo Koo, Chairman of LG Group, was the first to arrive at 'Hyungnim Jeoyo,' a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongdae Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, followed by Taewon Choi, Chairman of SK Group, and Haejin Lee, Chairman of the Board at Naver, who arrived in succession. Dressed in casual attire, they headed straight into the restaurant without answering questions from reporters.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, Taewon Choi, Chairman of SK Group, Kwangmo Koo, Chairman of LG Group, and Haejin Lee, Chairman of Naver, had a so-called "Samso (Samgyeopsal and Soju) meeting" on the 5th at "Hyungnim Jeoyo," a samgyeopsal restaurant near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

After exchanging brief greetings, Terra beer and Chamisul soju were served at the table. The youngest, Chairman Koo, stood up, took tissues from a box hanging from the ceiling, placed them on the table, and filled the participants' water glasses. The 'eldest,' Chairman Choi, poured beer into the others' glasses.

CEO Huang was the last to arrive, appearing at around 7:10 p.m. He simply thanked the reporters by saying, "Thank you," and immediately entered the restaurant. After changing into a leather jacket, he entered and signed a sketchbook for a child at a neighboring table before joining the other leaders for the meal. CEO Huang was seen picking up perilla leaves or dipping chili peppers in ssamjang (spicy soybean paste). When Chairman Lee explained how to make and eat a Korean-style meat wrap (ssam), Huang tried it as demonstrated. Not yet accustomed to Korean meat wrap culture, CEO Huang bit into the wrap instead of eating it in a single bite.

During the meal, the conversation covered topics such as 'CES 2026,' the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition held earlier this year, and the PC bang (internet cafe) that CEO Huang visited immediately after arriving in Korea. The atmosphere remained warm and friendly, with CEO Huang patting Chairman Lee on the shoulder and Chairman Koo laughing at CEO Huang's stories.

As drinks flowed, the restaurant owner mixed soju into Cass beer, tapping a spoon on the cup to make a 'bomb shot.' CEO Huang then stirred his glass with a spoon to mix the drink. He led the toast by saying, "Go Korea! Go SK! Go LG! Go Naver! Cheers!" as the leaders clinked their glasses together.

CEO Huang's signature 'fan service' continued throughout the evening. He took group selfies with guests at neighboring tables and conversed with children at their eye level. When a child who recognized him handed him a sketchbook, he signed it and greeted the child, saying, "Nice to meet you."

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, are handing out HBM Chips snacks to citizens and reporters. Photo by Jang Bokyung

CEO Huang, Chairman Choi, Chairman Koo, and Chairman Lee stepped outside the restaurant during the meal to hand out snacks to waiting reporters and citizens. The snacks distributed included glutinous rice donuts and 'HBM Chips' snacks. HBM Chips are inspired by high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology and were developed through collaboration between SK hynix and 7-Eleven. CEO Huang even demonstrated eating HBM Chips on the spot. Later, the group made another trip outside to distribute banana milk, sikhye (sweet rice drink), and fish-shaped bread to the crowd.

While handing out snacks, CEO Huang encouraged the crowd to chant "More HBM," prompting citizens to reply with "HBM." He commented that his visit to Korea was due to "booming business" and praised Korea for "doing very well." He added that the "big gift" he brought to Korea was NVIDIA's four products, introducing the next-generation AI platform Vera Rubin, the Vera CPU, the personal AI supercomputer DGX Spark, and the Jetson Thor AI computer for robotics one by one.

Chairman Koo said, "I'm having a great time. Today is a relaxed gathering to build friendships, and we have a meeting scheduled for next Monday." CEO Huang responded to Chairman Koo by saying, "Good friend." Chairman Choi joked with CEO Huang, saying, "You drink better than me."

It was reported that the payment for the 'Samso' gathering would be made by Haejin Lee, Chairman of Naver. The restaurant, Hyungnim Jeoyo, is equipped with 'Naver Pay Connect,' an offline integrated payment terminal for Naver Pay. The device supports credit cards, Naver Pay, and even FaceSign, a facial recognition payment service. Chairman Koo remarked, "Chairman Haejin Lee of Naver will be paying."

After wrapping up the first round at the restaurant, CEO Huang and the other leaders planned to continue their gathering at a nearby karaoke bar for a second round.

On the 5th, at a barbecue restaurant in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK, Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG, and Lee Hae-jin, Chairman of Naver, were handing out snacks such as banana milk and fish-shaped buns to citizens and reporters during a samgyeopsal gathering. Photo by Dongju Yoon

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.