President Lee Jae-myung, currently visiting San Francisco, USA, held a dinner with chief executive officers (CEOs) of global big tech companies at a local outdoor restaurant overlooking the ocean.

Last year, when NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang visited South Korea, he visited a "Ggandbu Chicken" restaurant and held a "chimaek" (chicken and beer) gathering with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung.

Kang Yu-chung, Senior Presidential Spokesperson for the Blue House, explained that the event was arranged with the intention of having casual conversations while sharing local California food, much like the natural bond formed during that previous gathering.

The menu included fish and chips, fried calamari, crab cakes, and clam chowder, accompanied by light beer.

Attendees at the dinner included CEO Huang, Broadcom President and CEO Hock Tan, Microsoft Azure Hardware Corporate Vice President Rani Borkar, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, and Naver Board Chairman Lee Hae-jin.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon and Blue House Chief of Policy Kim Yong-beom also attended.

Seemingly mindful of the past "Ggandbu chicken gathering," President Lee lightheartedly tapped beer bottles with the attendees, remarking, "You must need some chicken."

President Lee proposed a toast, saying, "In Korea, we call family 'sikgu,' which means 'people who eat rice together.' Eating together carries great significance not just in Korea, but all over the world. When I shout 'We are,' please respond with 'family.'"

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang responded by saying, "We are family."

President Lee also asked CEO Huang, "Did your young days wandering around the Yongsan Electronics Market serve as a major source of energy?" Upon receiving an affirmative reply, President Lee gave a thumbs-up and continued the conversation.

During the meal, when Deputy Prime Minister Bae offered to pay for the meal, CEO Huang told him to buy more beer, prompting President Lee to jokingly reply, "He can't because he's a government official."

President Lee also mentioned that Deputy Prime Minister Bae used to be an LG researcher. When CEO Huang remarked, "Then he must have made a lot of money," President Lee quipped back, "We recruited him right before he could make money, so he ended up not making any," drawing laughter.

In addition, during the closed-door dinner, President Lee encouraged the attendees, stating, "Thanks to business leaders, South Korea's economic growth rate has risen significantly, achieving the best performance in decades," and asked them to "continue to contribute to the development of the industrial ecosystem," according to a briefing by Blue House Chief of Policy Kim Yong-beom.

In response, the CEOs said, "South Korea is already among the global top three. While AI technology is indeed difficult, it is certainly not impossible," adding, "We expect to invest in South Korea and build a top-tier frontier AI model in a short period."

They further suggested, "While it is fine for the Republic of Korea to use AI models from other countries, there is a need to build an AI model unique to Korea."

(Photo: Yonhap News)