Genuine Chicken Sharing Wins Favor... 'Kanbu Meeting' Lee Jae-yong Ranked No.1 'Leader of the Year' by Generation Z

Jinhaksa Catch Announces 2025 'Leader of the Year' Survey Results
One in Two Gen Z Respondents Says "Lee Jae-yong is the Leader of the Year"

Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, has been ranked as the number one 'Leader of the Year' as chosen by Generation Z.

Samsung Group Chairman Lee Jae-yong is revealing a gift he received during a chicken meeting with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at Kanbu Chicken near Samsung Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 30th. 2025.10.30 Photo by Cho Yongjun

On the 19th, recruitment platform Jinhaksa Catch announced the results of a survey conducted among 3,079 job seekers and employees, revealing that Chairman Lee was selected as the most respected leader of 2025 with an overwhelming 52% of the votes.

Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, took second place with 9%. Chairman Chung, who ranked seventh in the previous survey, climbed five spots to secure a top position this time.

In fourth place was Kim Seung-youn, Chairman of Hanwha Group, with 6%, marking a significant rise from his previous tenth-place ranking. Choi Sooyoun, CEO of Naver, came in fifth with 5%, and Jung Kisun, Chairman of HD Hyundai, entered the rankings for the first time in sixth place with 4%. His recent efforts since taking office to drive future industry initiatives and organizational change have been positively received by Generation Z.

Other notable leaders included Lee Jae-hyun, Chairman of CJ Group, in seventh place with 4%; Chung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, in eighth with 3%; Park Jeong-won, Chairman of Doosan Group, in ninth with 3%; and Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, rounding out the top ten with 3%.

2025 Leader of the Year Rankings. Catch

The primary reason cited for Chairman Lee’s top ranking was his 'competence-based leadership.' The most common reason for selection was 'expertise and ability' at 39%, followed by 'clear goals and vision' (15%), 'listening and communication' (12%), and 'support for members and their growth' (12%).

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is delivering a gift during a chicken meeting with Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Group, and Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, at Kanbu Chicken near Samseong Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 30th. 2025.10.30 Photo by Jo Yongjun

Chairman Lee and Chairman Chung, who took the first and second spots, drew public attention for their so-called 'Kanbu meeting' with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. On October 30, they met publicly at the Kanbu Chicken franchise’s Samseong-dong branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, sharing chicken in a casual gathering that captured national interest and goodwill.

Following their meeting, Kanbu Chicken locations experienced a surge in visitors. The first Kanbu Chicken branch, located in Seongbok, Suji-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, had to temporarily close due to a flood of orders, while at the Samseong-dong branch, a notice was posted stating, "The table where CEO Jensen Huang sat is limited to one hour of use." Interest also grew in the menu items they shared during the meeting, prompting Kanbu Chicken to officially launch the 'Kanbu Meeting' menu set.

Meanwhile, when asked about the key trends in the 2025 job market, 'activation of AI-based recruitment' (29%) ranked first. The expansion of AI recruitment processes is signaling broad changes in job preparation methods. Other major keywords included 'increased proportion of career breaks' (20%) and 'preference for experienced new hires' (17%).

Additionally, 'discussion of introducing a 4.5-day workweek' (13%), 'expansion of AI-driven restructuring' (9%), 'strengthening the training of STEM talent' (8%), and 'increased interest in production and blue-collar jobs' (4%) were also highlighted.

Kim Jeonghyun, Head of Catch at Jinhaksa, commented, "This survey confirms that Generation Z’s criteria for evaluating leaders are becoming more specific, focusing on performance and communication," adding, "There is a clear trend toward gaining practical experience and increasing one’s market value under proven leadership."