Who Picked Up the Tab for the High-Profile Dinner Between Leaders of Nvidia, SK, LG, and Naver?

During a high-profile meeting between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and top executives from SK, LG, and Naver in Seoul on the evening of June 5, Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin stole the spotlight by settling the bill for every customer in the restaurant.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was seen drinking with leaders from SK, LG, and Naver

On Friday evening, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang held a roughly two-hour casual gathering with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin at a Korean barbecue restaurant in Mapo District, western Seoul.

South Korean media outlets dubbed the gathering a "Samso" dinner—a popular local portmanteau combining samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), soju, and beer. The atmosphere of the meeting was described as highly relaxed, featuring intimate conversations that largely revolved around food and lighthearted topics.

In a standout moment that drew widespread attention, Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin picked up the tab not just for the executive table, but for all regular diners present in the restaurant during their meeting. According to South Korean media reports, the entire transaction was executed using Naver's own mobile payment service, Naver Pay.

During the meeting, Jensen Huang reinforced the critical importance of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) to the AI industry. When SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won distributed HBM snack samples to bystanders and journalists, the Nvidia CEO humorously remarked, "HBM is mine," before repeatedly chanting, "I love HBM! Give me more HBM!"

The gathering at the barbecue restaurant concluded at approximately 9:09 PM, after which the executives relocated to a nearby fried chicken establishment for a second round of meetings.

Huang’s four-day visit to South Korea is viewed as a strategic opportunity for Nvidia to solidify partnerships with the nation's premier tech conglomerates. During his stay, he is slated to meet with representatives from Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, LG, and several other major enterprises to explore collaborative opportunities within the AI landscape.