Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Meets South Korean Business Leaders, Announces New AI Ventures

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang held a Korean-style barbecue dinner with South Korean business leaders in Seoul, highlighting their cooperation in the AI sector. Huang announced four new Nvidia ventures in Korea, including a research center, and emphasized the need for Korean memory chips. The meeting included SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Earlier, Huang visited an internet cafe, meeting esports players like Faker, and praised Korean gamers' competitiveness. Huang also plans to meet Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon to discuss AI cooperation, including GPU supply. Nvidia has partnered with Doosan Group, especially in robotics, and Huang is set to throw the first pitch at a Doosan Bears game. The trip follows his previous visit to South Korea in October for the APEC CEO Summit.

Huang brought four new businesses to Korea: Vera Rubin, a next-gen AI supercomputing platform; Vera, Nvidia's first AI CPU; RTX Spark, the company's first laptop; and Jetson Thor, an AI supercomputer for humanoid robots. These will require large amounts of memory chips, an area where Korean chipmakers excel. A research center in Korea is also being built, hiring AI and robotics researchers.

The companies involved span the AI value chain, from semiconductors to software. Hundreds gathered outside the restaurant to see the leaders. Huang views robotics as Korea's next major growth sector, citing the market's strong position. He emphasized Nvidia's plan to partner with Korean manufacturing firms in robotics and AI-driven semiconductor manufacturing.

(Photo: Yonhap)