NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang announced a $500 billion business partnership with SK Group and confirmed a large-scale investment in Naver during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the 24th (local time) at a hotel in San Francisco. Huang stated the partnership encompasses chip design and memory design collaboration with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, alongside the investment in Korea's leading cloud company Naver. The meeting marked the first encounter between the two leaders since the October 31 APEC summit in Gyeongju, approximately nine months prior, and reinforced Korea's push toward becoming an AI-native nation through expanded cooperation with NVIDIA across semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, and research development.
NVIDIA Announces $500 Billion Partnership with SK Group and Naver Investment
Huang told President Lee that "SK Group and NVIDIA will announce a business partnership between the two companies today," adding "the scale reaches $500 billion." He stated that "SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, and NVIDIA are proceeding with partnerships on chip design and memory design," and announced "a large-scale investment in Naver, Korea's leading cloud company." The CEO provided no further details on the investment structure or timeline during the meeting.
President Lee Praises Huang's Energy and GPU Supply Commitment
President Lee displayed notable warmth toward Huang during the meeting. Observing Huang's signature leather jacket, Lee remarked "I should have seen this in Seoul, but the leather jacket always suits you well," and added "I saw on broadcasts multiple times the chicken-and-beer scene in Seoul, and I wanted to join but felt regretful," prompting laughter in the meeting room. Lee told Huang "every time I see you, I often think you are truly overflowing with energy," and assessed "the entire world is facing fundamental change, and CEO Jensen Huang seems to stand at the very forefront." The president thanked Huang, stating "thanks to your smooth GPU supply as promised during APEC, we are changing really fast even in an unprepared state," and requested "I expect you to continue playing a major role as we start three mega-projects and prepare a new society and nation centered on artificial intelligence."
Huang Commits to AI Frontier Lab Establishment in Korea
Huang praised President Lee's AI Native Nation vision, stating "I think the AI Native Nation vision announced by the President has energized the Republic of Korea," and remarked "the energy I felt in Korea, from fried chicken to samgyeopsal, was truly amazing." He said "all Korean people really love AI," and mentioned he visited Seoul last month to celebrate existing cooperation achievements with domestic partner companies. Huang announced "NVIDIA's leading AI researchers plan to relocate from California to Korea," and stated "we plan to cooperate with KAIST to build Korea AI and develop Korea's large language model (LLM) in Korea, for Korea." He emphasized "we are building partnerships with various companies and organizations from large Korean corporations to startups and R&D organizations," describing "a development plan encompassing AI chips, physical AI, and AI infrastructure."
NVIDIA Outlines Partnerships with Hyundai Motor Group and LG
Huang presented specific collaboration plans with major Korean companies beyond SK, Samsung, and Naver. He stated "through partnership with Hyundai Motor Group, we plan to jointly develop autonomously driving Genesis vehicles and also proceed with robotics," and added "with LG, we are developing power generation systems and also developing systems that can be used in factories and homes." Huang assessed "under the President's leadership, Korea has truly accomplished many things over the past year," and evaluated "it is no exaggeration to say this is truly Korea's golden age." President Lee responded "this is just the beginning," and stated "when it comes to artificial intelligence, and when it comes to realizing artificial intelligence, Korea is determined to become the world's most advanced nation."
FAQ
What did Jensen Huang announce during his meeting with President Lee on the 24th?
Jensen Huang announced a $500 billion business partnership with SK Group and confirmed a large-scale investment in Naver. He stated the partnership involves chip design and memory design collaboration with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.
What AI initiatives did NVIDIA commit to establishing in Korea?
NVIDIA announced plans to establish an AI Frontier Lab in Korea, with leading AI researchers relocating from California. Huang stated the company will cooperate with KAIST to develop Korea's large language model (LLM) in Korea, for Korea.
Which other Korean companies did Huang mention for partnerships?
Huang outlined partnerships with Hyundai Motor Group to develop autonomously driving Genesis vehicles and robotics, and with LG to develop power generation systems and systems for factories and homes.
