Hyundai Motor closed up 9.4 percent at 290,000 won ($203). Hyundai Glovis rose 10.4 percent, and Hyundai AutoEver surged 26 percent to finish at 203,500 won. The rally was fueled by the long-awaited settlement of a trade deal under which Washington agreed to cut tariffs on Korean car exports from 25 percent to 15 percent, aligning Korea with Japanese and European rivals.
Tariff negotiations over the past year had weighed heavily on the corporate outlook, particularly for Hyundai Glovis, complicating its logistics operations. The resolution removes a major point of uncertainty for the auto and shipping sectors, said Hyung-Kyu Kang, emeritus professor of transportation and logistics at Hanyang University.
The tech leaders’ night out added to the momentum behind Hyundai Motor shares. The talk of the town was the chicken-and-beer gathering at Kkanbu Chicken in southern Seoul, where Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun shared drinks and casual conversation.
Images of the trio mingling with patrons in everyday attire went viral, briefly boosting sales at Kkanbu Chicken outlets, with some stores reporting nearly double their usual weekend orders.
“Kkanbu,” meaning trusted friend, became globally familiar after its appearance in the Netflix hit Squid Game. In Korean schoolyard slang, a kkanbu is a true equal — someone who has your back.
The three industry leaders’ toast beneath the restaurant’s symbolic sign came at a moment of rising influence for all three companies: Nvidia’s ascent as the world’s most valuable firm, Samsung Electronics’ record-breaking rally securing its place as Korea’s top market-cap company, and Hyundai Motor’s climb to No. 5.
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