Chairman Koo Kwangmo's Samgyeopsal Cutting Shocks Netizens... Unexpected Highlights from the 'Samso Meeting'

Jensen Huang, Chey Taewon, Koo Kwangmo, and Lee Haejin Draw Attention at "Samso Gathering"

The unexpected highlight of the so-called "Samso (Samgyeopsal and Soju) gathering" between Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and the heads of Korea’s major conglomerates was the sight of Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, cutting samgyeopsal at the table.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, along with Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, and Lee Hae-jin, Chairman of Naver, held a so-called 'Samso (pork belly and soju) meeting' on the 5th at the pork belly restaurant "Hyeongnim Jeoyo" near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

On June 5, Chairman Koo met with CEO Huang, who was visiting Korea, along with Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, and Lee Hae-jin, Chairman of the Board of Naver, at the restaurant "Hyeongnim Jeoyo" near Hongdae Entrance in Mapo-gu, Seoul, for a samgyeopsal dinner. The gathering of these conglomerate leaders, who came together in honor of CEO Huang’s visit, presented a rare and down-to-earth scene as they grilled and shared pork belly together.

The combined market capitalization of the companies led by these four CEOs is estimated to approach 1 quintillion won. This made it the so-called “1-quadrillion-won Samso (Samgyeopsal and Soju) meeting.” The scenes from their dinner were broadcast in real time on television and circulated online.

On the 5th, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo is seen cutting samgyeopsal at a barbecue restaurant near Hongdae Entrance in Seoul, together with Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Screenshot from YTN broadcast.

Chairman Koo, the youngest among the attendees at 48, took on the role of the group’s “maknae” (the youngest), grilling and cutting the samgyeopsal throughout the meal with tongs and scissors. He was also seen laying napkins and filling water glasses for Chey and Lee. Among those present, Chey is the eldest at 66, followed by CEO Huang at 63 and Lee at 59.

On the 5th, Jenson Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, along with Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, and Lee Hae-jin, Chairman of Naver, were at a Korean BBQ restaurant near Hongdae Entrance in Seoul, where Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, was seen cutting samgyeopsal. Screenshot from YTN broadcast.

Chairman Koo’s unique method of preparing the meat drew unexpected attention online. In the video, he used scissors to separate the lean meat from the fatty part of the samgyeopsal, which contrasted with the usual practice of cutting them together for eating.

The post sharing the video of Chairman Koo cutting the meat received hundreds of comments. Online users joked, “Cutting off the fat from samgyeopsal is a huge risk,” “This is owner risk,” and “He has a moral duty to explain.” Other tongue-in-cheek comments included, “Do you want to cut the stock price in half too?” “People in the kitchen say it’s a signal for a spin-off,” and “This is bad news for LG.”

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, waved his hand as he departed through the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center on the 9th after completing his visit to Korea. Photo by Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, CEO Huang departed Korea on June 9 after completing his five-day visit. Speaking to reporters at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, before leaving, he remarked, “The welcome was truly wonderful. My family and I felt genuinely embraced.”

During this visit, CEO Huang announced a series of significant achievements, including a multi-year partnership with SK hynix and AI infrastructure collaborations with Naver and SK Telecom. Regarding the outcomes of his trip, he said, “We had very good meetings and announced excellent partnerships. We signed a multi-year partnership with SK hynix to expand business and diversify cooperation, and also formed separate AI cloud partnerships with both Naver and SK Telecom.”

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