'My gun's still powerful': Jensen Huang's Seoul remarks resurface amid misconduct scandal

As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stepped down Thursday (local time) amid an extramarital affairs scandal, his behavior during a visit to South Korea last year is drawing renewed attention online.

Videos from the GeForce Gamer Festival, held Oct. 30 last year at COEX plaza in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, have been recirculating across online communities and social media since Friday.

That evening, Huang, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung gathered for a "chimaek" — fried chicken and beer — dinner at Kkanbu Chicken near Samseong Station at around 7:30 p.m. before heading together to the festival and taking the stage.

The event was held to mark the 25th anniversary of Nvidia's GeForce launch in South Korea and was hosted by broadcaster Shin A-young.

The three, who had been drinking at the chimaek dinner, took part in a prize-launching event in which they fired gun-shaped launchers toward the audience.

When the prize Huang fired flew farther than expected, he said, "My gun was too powerful." He then added, "That's my problem usually. My gun's still powerful" — remarks that carried a sexual innuendo.

Lee responded by putting his arm around Huang's shoulder.

After the prize-launching event ended, Huang moved toward host Shin A-young, who stepped back slightly. Lee intervened again, embracing Huang a second time and halting his advance. Once the embrace ended, however, Huang lightly hugged Shin and appeared to whisper something in her ear.

Online users say the moment, which at the time was largely dismissed as a lighthearted greeting in the excitement of the event, looks different now in light of the recent revelations about Huang's personal conduct.

Earlier, Huang acknowledged Sunday (local time) an affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman known in China as Huang Le. Additional allegations then emerged that he had carried on an improper relationship with Kimberly Powell, an Nvidia vice president who oversees the company's global healthcare business. Reuters also reported Thursday that Huang had been in a close relationship with yet another female Nvidia employee, though Nvidia declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Nvidia's board announced Thursday that Huang had immediately stepped down as president, CEO and board member. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO while the board searches for a successor from both inside and outside the company.