Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang departed South Korea Tuesday morning after completing a visit to meet with government officials and industry leaders [1].
The trip signals Nvidia's intent to deepen its AI industry cooperation with South Korean corporations, academia, and startups. By exploring an "AI alliance," Huang aims to secure strategic partnerships in a region critical to semiconductor manufacturing and AI deployment [1, 2].
Huang's itinerary spanned four nights and five days [1]. During the visit, he met with a diverse range of figures, including pro-gamer Lee Sang-hyuk and Naver chairperson Lee Hae-jin [2]. He also held high-level meetings with SK Group chairman Choi Tae-won and LG Group chairman Koo Kwang-mo [2].
Beyond formal boardrooms, the visit included an informal pork-belly dinner, known as a "samgyeopsal 회동," at a restaurant in the Hongdae district of Seoul [2]. This gathering included the leaders from SK, LG, and Naver, blending cultural engagement with corporate networking [2].
Reporter Son Hyo-jung said that Huang processed such a dense schedule that he described himself as "tired" after finishing his final engagements [2]. The visit began on the 5th of the month and concluded with his departure on Tuesday [1].
Throughout the trip, the focus remained on the intersection of hardware and software. By engaging with both the gaming community and the heads of the nation's largest conglomerates, Huang positioned Nvidia as a central pillar in South Korea's technological ambitions [1, 2].
“Jensen Huang completed a four-night, five-day visit to South Korea”
Nvidia's strategic engagement with South Korea's 'chaebols'—specifically SK and LG—is critical because these companies control significant portions of the global memory chip supply chain. By combining high-level corporate diplomacy with cultural gestures like the Hongdae dinner, Huang is attempting to lock in an ecosystem of loyalty and cooperation that ensures Nvidia's AI hardware remains integrated with Korean infrastructure.
