SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted a dinner for businesspeople from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Thursday as part of efforts to praise their contribution to the economy, featuring surprise menu items: spicy chicken ramyeon and frozen gimbap.
Yoon attended the annual SMEs Entrepreneur’s Day held at the presidential office for the third consecutive year, which drew around 500 people from SMEs, venture companies and startups.
The guests also included Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin.
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of SMEs Entrepreneur’s Day held at the presidential office in Seoul on May 23, 2024. (Yonhap)
The banquet, held on the lawn in front of the office, served Samyang Foods’ buldak (spicy chicken) ramyeon and frozen gimbap, seaweed rice rolls.
The menu items have recently sparked a sensation among K-food enthusiasts, with viral clips of eating and making them garnering millions of views on YouTube and TikTok.
During the event, Yoon pledged to create a business-friendly environment to support local companies’ efforts to tap into the global market.
Last year, an outdoor banquet hosted by Yoon served robot-fried chicken by food startup Robert Chicken and robot-made single-serving pizzas by another startup GoPizza.
Bowls of Samyang Foods’ spicy chicken ramyeon are displayed at a ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of SMEs Entrepreneur’s Day held at the presidential office in Seoul on May 23, 2024. (Yonhap)
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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