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AgenciesSamsung’s Jay Y Lee, Hyundai’s Chung Euisun and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang at a fried chicken restaurant in Seoul Jensen Huang's midas touch extends to Korean fried chicken.Photos and videos of Nvidia's CEO having beers and fried chicken at a local restaurant, Kkanbu Chicken, in Seoul-with Samsung Electronics chair Jay Y Lee and Hyundai Motor executive chair Chung Euisun-went viral, and now investors are driving up related stocks.While Kkanbu is not publicly listed, shares of rival Kyochon F&B briefly surged as much as 20% on Friday. Korean poultry processor Cherrybro also soared by the daily limit of 30%, with trading volume about 200 times its average. Neuromeka, a Kosdaq-listed company that makes chicken-frying robots, also jumped.The episode reflects how virality and memes continue to influence South Korea's stock market, where risk-seeking traders chase short-term gains tied to cultural, political, or economic moments in the spotlight-often with little regard to fundamentals. It also offers a glimpse into Huang's push to deepen Nvidia's presence in a key market as it faces growing restrictions in China.In August, shares of South Korean pen maker MonAmi surged after Donald Trump praised President Lee Jae Myung's pen during their first in-person meeting at the White House.Live EventsHuang, in South Korea this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO summit, was seen handing out chicken to a policeman and onlookers gathered outside the restaurant to catch a sight of him."This is very good for your health right? I love fried chicken and I love beer and I love fried chicken and beer with my friends," Huang said to reporters who gathered outside the restaurant in southern Seoul.Fried chicken-and-beer joints are wildly popular in Korea, often serving as casual hubs for friends and co-workers. But Korean "chaebol" chiefs like Lee are rarely seen in public, especially in casual settings, making the moment all the more noteworthy.But the gathering was more than a photo op. Samsung has been working hard to get its most cutting-edge high-bandwidth memory chips to Nvidia, and the US company also has big ambitions in the auto sector. Huang seized his visit to Seoul to unveil new contracts to supply AI chips to major South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, deals that would help Nvidia broaden its footprint in the country.For Korean conglomerates, closer ties with Nvidia promise a steadier supply of the graphics processing units critical for training and operating artificial-intelligence models."I have many partners here and we have many announcements to make," Huang said. It's not the first time Huang has acted as a stock market kingmaker. In 2024, several AI-related companies saw their shares surge after he name-dropped them during a presentation, demonstrating his influence well beyond his company.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onNvidiaJensen HuangSamsung ElectronicsHyundai MotorKorean fried chickenAI chipsstock market influence (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onNvidiaJensen HuangSamsung ElectronicsHyundai MotorKorean fried chickenAI chipsstock market influence(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Explore More Stories123
