Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Seoul from June 1 to June 7 to cement the company's physical-AI supply chain in South Korea.
The visit underscores the critical interdependence between Nvidia's chip designs and South Korean semiconductor and automotive manufacturing. As the global race for artificial intelligence accelerates, securing reliable partnerships for high-bandwidth memory and robotics is essential for maintaining Nvidia's market lead.
Huang conducted five sessions [1] with various industry leaders, including representatives from Hyundai, Krafton, and NCSoft. These meetings focused on exploring collaborations in gaming-AI and discussing HBM4 memory partnerships to power next-generation processors.
The CEO's presence in the capital had an immediate impact on the financial markets. Samsung shares rose as much as 9.5% [2] following news of the visit. This jump pushed Samsung's market value beyond 2,000 trillion won [2], including preferred shares.
Beyond corporate boardrooms, Huang engaged in high-profile cultural events to promote the Nvidia brand. He met with esports legend Faker and threw the ceremonial first pitch at a local baseball game. He also dined with several South Korean tech leaders during his stay.
These activities combined business diplomacy with brand visibility. By engaging with both the industrial sector and the gaming community, Huang positioned Nvidia as a central pillar of South Korea's digital and physical infrastructure.
“Samsung shares rose as much as 9.5% on the news of Huang’s visit”
Nvidia's strategic focus on South Korea highlights a shift toward 'physical AI,' where AI integrates with robotics and automotive hardware. By securing HBM4 memory deals and partnering with firms like Hyundai, Nvidia is ensuring that its software ecosystem has the necessary hardware throughput to move from data centers into real-world physical applications.
