Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Visit South Korea for AI Partnerships

Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang is expected to arrive in Seoul this week for a series of meetings with leaders of major South Korean conglomerates [1]. The visit, which follows his appearance at the Computex trade show in Taipei, is intended to explore broader cooperation in artificial intelligence, robotics, and semiconductor technology [1].

Key takeaways

• Jensen Huang is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Thursday night and begin meetings on Friday [1].
• Expected attendees include the heads of SK Group, LG Group, and Naver, with Hyundai Motor Group’s leadership also considering participation [1].
• Discussions are anticipated to cover AI semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and the emerging field of physical AI [1].
• Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is not expected to attend due to an overseas schedule [1].

Expanding AI and Robotics Cooperation

Industry sources indicate that the upcoming talks will likely move beyond traditional AI semiconductor partnerships to address physical AI, a field focused on integrating artificial intelligence into real-world machines and systems [1]. As part of his itinerary, Huang is in discussions to visit Naver’s "1784" office building, a 28-story facility in Gyeonggi Province that serves as a test bed for the company's robotics, cloud, and 5G network technologies [1].

The visit marks a return to South Korea for the Nvidia executive, coming approximately seven months after his previous trip for the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju [1]. During that prior visit, Huang met with leaders from Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group, an interaction that gained public attention when the executives shared a meal of Korean fried chicken and beer [1]. While the current trip focuses on new partnerships, it follows a history of engagement between Nvidia and the Korean tech sector; for instance, AMD’s Lisa Su previously visited the Naver 1784 facility in March to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding AI infrastructure [1].

Why it matters

The visit underscores the growing importance of South Korea’s semiconductor and IT industries within the global AI supply chain. By engaging with major conglomerates like SK Group, LG, and Naver, Nvidia aims to solidify its position in the development of next-generation AI accelerators and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) [3]. While the meetings are expected to foster collaboration across cloud and hardware sectors, the absence of Samsung Electronics' chairman highlights the complexities of coordinating schedules among top-tier global executives [1]. As Nvidia continues to expand its influence, these high-level discussions serve as a critical bridge between U.S. AI design and South Korean manufacturing and infrastructure capabilities [1].