"He Felt Like an Ordinary Man, Will Treasure the 50,000 Won as a Family Heirloom"... Chairman Lee Jae-yong Gives Pocket Money to Cafe Employee

Gave 50,000 Won for a Coffee Gift from Cafe Employee
"I Will Frame It and Pass It Down as a Family Heirloom"

A story has drawn attention after a cafe employee at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event revealed that they happened to meet Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, gifted him a cup of coffee, and received 50,000 won in return. The employee expressed excitement, saying, "He was stylish and gentlemanly," while online users have responded with comments such as, "As expected of Lee Jae-yong."

Returned to Give 50,000 Won After Receiving Coffee Gift

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event, a staff member who happened to meet Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and gifted him a cup of coffee reportedly received 50,000 won. Thread capture

Person A, who said they worked at the Ediya Coffee shop inside Hanwha Resort in Gyeongju during APEC, posted on a social networking service (SNS) thread on the 1st, "I had many special experiences, but the best was meeting Chairman Lee Jae-yong," along with several photos. The photos included one of Chairman Lee holding a cup of coffee with Person A, and another of Person A holding a 50,000 won bill.

According to Person A, they called out to Chairman Lee as he was passing by and offered him a cup of coffee. Chairman Lee greeted them and walked away, but then returned, took 50,000 won from his pants pocket, and handed it to Person A. Person A said, "The chairman was not only stylish and handsome but also gentlemanly," and added, "I will frame the money he gave me and pass it down as a family heirloom."

"He Felt Like an Ordinary Man, Such a Grateful Memory"

This post garnered 340,000 views and over 9,100 likes in less than a day. When one user asked, "The CEO of Samsung Electronics took money out of his pocket instead of his wallet?" Person A replied, "Yes. He felt like an ordinary man." Asked how nervous and happy they were, Person A said, "My hands were shaking so much I could barely make the drink. He gave me such a grateful memory." When asked what kind of phone they use, Person A answered, "I only use Samsung phones."

At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event, a story was shared about an employee who happened to meet Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and gifted him a cup of coffee, receiving 50,000 won in return. Thread capture

Online users who came across Person A's story shared various reactions, such as, "If I had that money, I feel like I'd become rich," "As expected, God Jae-yong," "Keep it in a frame in your living room and soak up the good energy," "I'm more jealous than any product review," "So down-to-earth and cool," "I love seeing such a human side," and "Would he not have given it if you used an iPhone?"

Meanwhile, Chairman Lee attended the opening ceremony of the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju on October 29, and the next day drew significant attention online after having a 'chimaek' (chicken and beer) gathering with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.