"You’re Quite Ambitious" – Chung Eui-sun Almost Sits in President’s Seat, Making Lee Jae-yong Burst into Laughter [Video]

[Financial News] At a meeting between President Lee Jae-myung and the heads of the top 10 conglomerates, a spontaneous move by Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Eui-sun turned the room into a burst of laughter.
On the 4th, President Lee held the "Corporate Roundtable on Youth Jobs and Expanded Regional Investment" at the presidential office in Seoul. Business leaders who attended pledged to support regional economic revitalization and youth employment through large-scale investments.
The roundtable brought together Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Vice Chairman Choi Chang-won, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin, POSCO Chairman Chang In-hwa, Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, HD Chairman Chung Ki-sun, GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo, and Hanjin Chairman Walter Cho, representing the 10 major business groups.
The much-talked-about moment came as Chairman Chung entered the venue, greeted the other leaders, and moved to take an empty seat. The chair he was about to sit in, without realizing it, was actually President Lee’s seat.
As Chung’s action unfolded, laughter erupted among the business leaders, and someone was heard joking, "You’re quite ambitious." Chung quickly shifted to his own seat next to the president’s. President Lee then entered, took his seat, and the roundtable began.
Once the video capturing the scene went viral, online commenters reacted with jokes such as, "Turns out Chairman Chung is secretly an ambitious character" and "He must be trying to fulfill his grandfather’s dream." Others noted the atmosphere, saying, "I can’t remember relations between politics and business ever being this good" and "The mood at the corporate roundtable looks very positive."
At the roundtable, President Lee said he plans to create new regional growth hubs and concentrate investment through the "5-geuk 3-teuk" regional development framework, and expressed hope that companies would move in step with this policy. He also urged businesses to significantly increase hiring opportunities for young people. In response, Ryu Jin, head of The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), speaking on behalf of the business community, pledged active support and said they are planning regional investments totaling 300 trillion won over the next five years, including 270 trillion won from the top 10 conglomerates.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter