Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang is set to meet with South Korean government officials and the heads of Samsung Electronics Co., SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group later this month to discuss cooperation on the nation’s government-led artificial intelligence initiative during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city of Gyeongju.
According to government officials who declined to be named on Thursday, Huang will attend a meeting organized by Korean government officials on Oct. 31, joined by Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun.
The discussion will likely center on strengthening AI partnerships and technology collaboration between the global chip leader and Korea’s top conglomerates to foster the country’s AI capability.
The gathering, which will include senior government officials, is described as a rare state-business meeting.
Participants are expected to review the Korean government’s AI investment and policy roadmap, with state representatives briefing Huang on plans to bolster the nation’s AI competitiveness.
The government may also raise the possibility of purchasing Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) to address supply shortages, the officials said.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who pledged during his campaign to secure 50,000 GPUs, aims to distribute them to startups and universities to accelerate Korea’s AI ecosystem.
The administration under Lee is banking on AI and advanced technologies to reinvigorate the economy.
The upcoming meeting will take place alongside Huang’s separate one-on-one sessions with Samsung’s Lee and SK’s Chey during the APEC CEO Summit.
The event, hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will run from Oct. 28-31, ahead of the APEC leaders’ meeting from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.
AI CHIPS, SUPPLY CHAINS AND ROBOTICS COLLABORATION
Huang is also expected to discuss AI semiconductor supply chains with Samsung and SK, which both supply or are seeking to supply high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips to Nvidia.
Industry watchers say the three firms may explore deeper collaboration on HBM capacity and future chip technologies.
The talks come after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with Samsung and SK executives in Seoul earlier this month to advance AI infrastructure cooperation for the $500 billion Stargate project.
Altman’s deal to source HBM chips from the two Korean memory giants could prompt Nvidia to seek additional supply to secure its own production pipeline, industry watchers said.
SK Hynix Inc. is now the world’s top HBM provider and Nvidia’s main supplier, while Samsung Electronics recently won long-awaited validation for its 12-layer HBM3E product, a crucial step in competing more directly with its domestic rival.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor’s Chung Euisun is expected to discuss vertical AI applications for autonomous driving, robotics and other hardware-based systems.
The automaker formed a partnership with Nvidia in January to integrate advanced AI technologies into future mobility and robotics platforms. Both companies are expanding into humanoid robots, with their partnership likely to deepen during Huang’s visit.
KOREA’S STRATEGIC AI PUSH
The meeting underscores Korea’s ambition to become one of the world’s top three AI powers, a national goal championed by President Lee.
A senior government official said global companies view state AI policy direction as “a decisive factor” when considering investment in Korea’s AI ecosystem.
“The meeting among the global AI giant, Korean conglomerates and the government during APEC carries heavy weight, given President Lee’s prioritization of AI as a national growth mission,” the official said.
Industry officials also expect Huang to visit Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix semiconductor facilities during his trip, his first visit to Korea this year.
Huang last met Samsung’s Lee and SK’s Chey less than three months ago at a business roundtable held alongside the South Korea–US summit in Washington, D.C. in August.
The APEC CEO Summit will bring together about 1,700 corporate executives, including Huang, and economic leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss topics ranging from artificial intelligence and digital transformation to trade and sustainability, according to organizers.
By Jae-Young Han and Hyung-Kyu Kim
jyhan@hankyung.com
Sookyung Seo edited this article.
