NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang concluded his visit to South Korea by bringing together leading companies representing the country's artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics industries.
The event underscored NVIDIA's ambition to expand its partnerships beyond the semiconductor supply chain into AI infrastructure, autonomous driving, robotics, and generative AI services.
On the evening of June 8, Huang hosted the “Korea AI Ecosystem Reception” at the Yeong Bin Gwan of the Shilla Hotel in central Seoul. The gathering was attended by executives and representatives from major conglomerates, mid-sized firms, and startups.
The reception served as the culmination of a series of meetings Huang held during his four-day visit to Korea. With both large corporations and startups participating, the event highlighted the AI partnership ecosystem NVIDIA is seeking to build in the Korean market.
Among the attendees were semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, both of which play critical roles in supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a key component of NVIDIA's AI accelerators.
During his stay, Huang held multiple meetings with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to discuss expanding cooperation with SK affiliates, including SK hynix and SK Telecom, particularly in areas such as AI factories and AI cloud services.
Earlier on Sunday, Huang also met with Jun Young-hyun, Vice Chairman and Head of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) Division, where the two sides reportedly discussed cooperation in next-generation memory technologies and AI semiconductors.
Huang had previously met with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, reaffirming their commitment to collaboration in mobility technologies, including humanoid robots and autonomous driving. NVIDIA also revealed plans to build a data center in Saemangeum following a proposal from Hyundai Motor Group.
LG Electronics was another notable participant. The company has been cited as a potential partner in smart home technologies and industrial AI. The two companies have agreed to deepen cooperation in next-generation robotics, including humanoid and logistics robots.
The robotics sector was represented by companies such as Doosan Robotics, Robotis, and RLWRLD. NVIDIA has recently intensified efforts to expand its robotics ecosystem through platforms including Isaac, Groot, and Cosmos.
Naver also attended the event. The company plans to expand its AI infrastructure business overseas and scale its 55-megawatt AI factory into a gigawatt-level operation in collaboration with NVIDIA.
From the gaming industry, Krafton and NCSoft were among the participants. Huang has demonstrated strong interest in Korea's gaming and esports sectors during his visit, making multiple appearances at local PC gaming cafes.
Several prominent Korean AI startups--including Upstage, Twelve Labs, FriendlyAI, and Nota AI--also joined the reception. These companies have emerged as key players in generative AI and AI infrastructure.
As fostering AI startups remains a central pillar of NVIDIA's global strategy, industry observers are closely watching whether the company will deepen its collaboration with Korea's emerging AI innovators.
