MEME
‘Shh! iPhone? Naengmyeon!’ Lee Jae-yong Memes, the Playful Charm of the Chairman that Captivated South Korea
IntroductionThese days, one of the 'hottest' keywords heating up online communities and social media is 'Meme'. Among them, there is a particularly standout figure: Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. In line with the KOSPI's surge, he became the protagonist of the popular meme "No time to explain, get in!" along with SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, and every single one of his trivial actions is gaining explosive interest and consensus from the public, being reproduced into numerous 'jjal' (meme images). It is a very interesting phenomenon that the image of a business tycoon, who was once felt to be strict and rigid, has transformed into such humorous and friendly content. How exactly did Chairman Lee Jae-yong penetrate our daily lives and become a 'meme' icon? Today, we will take the time to deeply explore the background and public psychology through his various memes.Body'Shh!' and 'iPhone': Familiarity Born at Busan's Kkangtong MarketWhen talking about the beginning of the Lee Jae-yong meme, an indispensable scene is when he visited Busan's Kkangtong Market with President Yoon Suk-yeol in December 2023. At that time, a massive crowd recognized Chairman Lee and cheered, shouting "Lee Jae-yong!" and "You're handsome!". At this moment, Chairman Lee made a comical facial expression and put his index finger to his lips, making a 'Shh!' gesture towards the citizens. This scene quickly spread as photos and videos, becoming a huge topic as a parody meme applied to various situations, such as 'the manager sneaking out because he doesn't want to go to the second round of a company dinner' and 'a meme for telling a secret'.On the same day, he was also caught making a joke while looking at the smartphones of citizens filming him, asking, "Why are there so many iPhones?", which gave birth to another 'iPhone' meme. Even on Chairman Lee Jae-yong's fan page on Instagram, a witty post was uploaded saying, "Visited Jamsil Samsung SDS, the dried pollack soup is delicious, and there were iPhones too," humorously expressing the situation where the Samsung Electronics Chairman discovered competitors' products, further highlighting his pleasant image. These anecdotes clearly showed the human side hidden behind the dignity of a top executive, providing great relatability and amusement to the public.From Okryu-gwan Cold Noodles to the Cafeteria's Dried Pollack Soup: The 'Lee Jae-yong the Gourmet' MemeAmong Chairman Lee Jae-yong's memes, content related to his 'meals' also takes up a significant portion. This goes back to September 2018, when he visited Pyongyang as part of the special entourage for the Inter-Korean Summit with President Moon Jae-in. At that time, he ate Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold noodles) for a luncheon with other business tycoons at Okryu-gwan in Pyongyang. His appearance eating the cold noodles, especially his facial expression when Ri Son-gwon, chairman of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, remarked, "Do the cold noodles go down your throat?", became a hot topic. The scene of him seemingly widening his eyes after eating the cold noodles was captured and remains an iconic scene of the 'Pyongyang Naengmyeon' meme that is still talked about today.In addition, the 'cafeteria' meme originated when an Instagram account impersonating Chairman Lee Jae-yong initially posted a picture of a food tray with the text, "It's the Samsung Electronics cafeteria. It's a shame for me too, but I eat exactly the same as the employees." Later, as images of Chairman Lee actually visiting the cafeterias of Samsung SDS and the Suwon campus to eat with employees were revealed, the keyword 'cafeteria' gained even more attention. The unpretentious image of the top executive eating the exact same food as the employees left a deep impression on the public, making them feel even closer to him.The Unexpected Sold-Out Item Maker: The Ripple Effect of 'Lee Jae-yong's Lip Balm'The unintended 'Lee Jae-yong effect', which instantly 'sells out' specific products, also runs parallel to the meme phenomenon. A lip balm (a product of the US company S) that Chairman Lee was caught applying at a past parliamentary hearing related to the state affairs manipulation scandal was dubbed 'Lee Jae-yong's lip balm' and caused a massive out-of-stock crisis in Korea. Besides this, the red padded jumper he wore also became a hot topic, creating a phenomenon where his down-to-earth image combined with specific items to stimulate the public's consumer psychology. This can be seen as a prime example showing just how immense his influence on the public is as a cultural icon, going beyond a simple corporate head.ConclusionChairman Lee Jae-yong's memes make him come across not as a distant and rigid corporate head anymore, but as an approachable figure around us. From his playful 'Shh!' expression to making jokes while looking at iPhones, his humanistic side of eating Pyongyang cold noodles and dining together with employees in the cafeteria, and even the lip balm he used casually. As all these moments are captured and shared, the public has formed a new image of the person named Lee Jae-yong.This is an important indicator showing that what the public expects from public figures, especially business leaders, is changing in the social media era. Beyond just being a successful businessman, a 'human' side capable of building rapport and enjoying humor has become an essential element for gaining public love. The Lee Jae-yong meme will be remembered as an interesting case showing how the way corporations and leadership communicate with the public is evolving in Korean society. His memes have settled as a part of today's pop culture, and expectations are gathering on what new memes every single one of his future actions will create.