When a café worker at an APEC South Korea 2025 venue in South Korea received a $35 tip from Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, the story went viral—not because of the money, but because tipping simply isn’t part of Korean culture.
The employee, who worked at an Ediya Coffee shop inside the Hanwha Resort in Gyeongju, posted online that Lee accepted a cup of coffee, walked away, then returned to hand over the cash from his pocket. The post, which included photos of Lee and the employee, quickly drew hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of likes.
In the United States, such a gesture might seem unremarkable. But in South Korea, where strict workplace hierarchy and formality often keep executives and frontline workers apart, it stood out. Tipping is rare and sometimes even refused, as service charges are typically included in prices and customer service is viewed as a matter of pride, not gratuity.
Online, Koreans saw Lee’s small gesture as symbolic. Some read it as a sign of humility from the head of a global conglomerate; others as a subtle hint that old boundaries between elites and ordinary workers are softening. The employee, who received the tip, said Lee “looked like an ordinary man” when asked if it was true that the Samsung chief had pulled the bills from his pocket rather than a wallet.
Lee had been attending APEC-related events in Gyeongju, including a “chicken and beer” meeting with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Later, he met with President Lee Jae-myung, pledging to expand Samsung’s collaboration with Nvidia in AI and semiconductor technologies.
For American readers, the episode may seem like a minor feel-good story. For Koreans, it struck a deeper note—offering a glimpse of how even small gestures can challenge traditional norms in a society where rank and respect have long defined everyday interactions.
