The area near "Hyungnim Jeoyo," a samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) restaurant in Seoul's Mapo district known as the dinner venue for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and heads of major Korean conglomerates, was packed with crowds from early afternoon on Wednesday.
At around 4 p.m., roughly four hours before the evening gathering, the area around the restaurant transformed into something resembling an event venue as more than 300 reporters and citizens mingled. Voices asking "Is Jensen Huang really coming here?" could be heard in various spots. Jeong, a college student in his 20s, said, "I came to secure a good spot first because I want to take photos," adding, "I think more people will gather after work hours end." Seong, a cafe operator in his 40s near the area, said, "It's amazing that business tycoons are meeting at a pork belly restaurant in Hongdae," adding, "I'd like to come back later to see where they sat."
Some citizens watched the scene from around the police line set up along the restaurant entrance, using parasols to shield themselves from the sun. The sight of people photographing the gathered press and the restaurant sign with their phones was also captured in various spots. Many passersby and foreign tourists stopped in their tracks to ask "What's going on?"
As 7 p.m., the scheduled time for Huang's gathering, drew closer, the number of citizens gathered in the area was expected to grow further. Huang's visit schedule and destinations in Korea have been drawing attention online, and the gathering venue is located near Hongik University Station, a busy district. As a result, ordinary pedestrians passing through the area continued to flow in.
As the crowd grew, police set up a police line in the alley in front of the restaurant and organized pedestrian movement. One mobile police unit was also set to stand by in case of an emergency. A police official said, "We are taking measures necessary to maintain order while monitoring the situation on site."
Huang was set to hold a dinner gathering at the restaurant at around 7 p.m. with major figures in Korean business circles, including SK Group Chairman Tae-won Choi, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung, LG Group Chairman Kwang-mo Koo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. The venue appears to have been chosen because it can project a friendly and buzz-worthy image, similar to last year's "Kkanbu Chicken" gathering between Huang and major business figures.
This meeting in particular could involve discussions on cooperation with Korean companies in fields such as semiconductors, memory, automotive electronics, robotics, and platforms. Immediately after arriving at Gimpo Airport that day, Huang said, "I want to express my gratitude to all of Korea's partners and customers," adding, "Artificial intelligence (AI) build-out is accelerating, and it will be much larger in scale in the second half of the year." When asked whether he had a gift for Korea, he replied, "I've brought a lot of business."
