"You Seem Quite Ambitious": Chung Euisun Almost Takes President's Seat... Lee Jaeyong Bursts Into Laughter

A Seating Mix-Up at Meeting of Top 10 Chaebols
Laughter as Joke Rings Out: "You Seem Quite Ambitious"

An unexpected scene at an official meeting where President Lee Jaemyung and the heads of the top 10 business groups gathered in one place has become a hot topic. Laughter broke out at the venue when Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun almost mistakenly sat in President Lee's seat.

Chung Euisun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, is seen heading toward the president's seat during the seating process, then moving to another seat. KTV YouTube

On February 4, President Lee held a "Corporate Meeting on Youth Employment and Expanded Regional Investment" at the Blue House. The meeting was attended by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Vice Chairman Choi Chang-won, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Posco Chairman Jang In-hwa, Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun, GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo, and Hanjin Chairman Cho Won-tae, representing the chairmen of the 10 groups.

The much-talked-about moment occurred as Chairman Chung entered the conference room and was about to take his seat. After entering the meeting room and greeting the other participants, Chung headed toward one of two empty seats, but that particular seat happened to be the one reserved for President Lee. When the staff member in charge of guidance hurried over and directed him to the adjacent seat, Chung, looking slightly embarrassed, moved to the other seat.

Chung Euisun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, was seen heading toward the presidential seat during the seating process but then moving to another seat. KTV YouTube

During this process, laughter erupted at the scene. Someone even joked to Chung, "You seem quite ambitious."

Online commenters who saw the scene reacted by saying things like, "Chairman Chung turns out to be an ambitious character," and "He has the ambition to fulfill his grandfather's dream in his place." Others commented that "the atmosphere at the meeting looks very friendly and relaxed."

Meanwhile, according to a Blue House briefing, the 10 major companies that attended the meeting plan to hire a total of 51,600 new employees this year, of which 34,200, or 66%, will be recruited as new hires rather than experienced workers. This is an increase of about 2,500 people compared to last year. In addition, these companies have decided to invest a total of 270 trillion won in regional areas over the next five years, with 66 trillion won to be invested this year alone. This represents an increase of about 16 trillion won from last year.