Lee cracks salary joke at Samsung workers, points to Lee Jae-yong

President Lee Jae Myung drew attention Thursday when he joked to Samsung workers that they should greet Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong if they wanted a raise, during a visit to Asan for a national briefing on advanced industry development in the Chungcheong region.

The moment was captured in a video titled "I Like You" posted Wednesday on President Lee's official YouTube channel, showing him greeting employees at Samsung Display's Asan plant.

Smiling broadly, Lee exchanged pleasantries with officials before turning to the crowd and asking, "Who are all these people?" Chairman Lee replied, "They're our employees — word got out that you were coming."

As the president walked toward the workers, he pointed at the chairman and quipped, "You should say hello to the chairman — that's how you get your salary raised," drawing laughter from those around him.

Lee went down the line shaking hands with employees one by one, and one worker was heard exclaiming with delight, "He held my hand."

The crowd chanted "Nice to meet you" and cheers rang out. The welcome was so enthusiastic that security personnel had to call out, "Please don't push."

The president and the chairman posed for selfies with employees, and just before boarding his official vehicle, Lee drew a heart with his hands toward the crowd.

In a separate video titled "This Really Is Cutting-Edge," the president was seen marveling at Samsung Display's flexible display technology.

"The era I imagined has finally arrived," Lee said, turning to Chairman Lee, who stood behind him smiling and nodding.

After trying out a smart vehicle, Lee heard from the chairman that "as autonomous driving advances, displays will play an even bigger role inside cars."

Meanwhile, the briefing unveiled a combined investment plan for the Chungcheong region totaling 392 trillion won ($252 billion) across semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries and components, and biotech.

President Lee said at the event that the chairman's remarks reminded him of the historic moment in 1983 when late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull declared the company's entry into the semiconductor industry in Tokyo. "Just as that foresight made South Korea a semiconductor powerhouse, I am convinced that Chairman Lee's decision today will lead a new leap forward for Korea's advanced industries," he said.

Chairman Lee announced an investment plan of about 140 trillion won, saying, "Chungcheong, at the heart of the country, will grow further as a global hub for IT materials and components." He added, "As the president noted, in this decisive moment when the foundations of the global economy are shaking, Samsung will pour everything it has into making a great leap forward as a nation of unrivaled industrial strength."