For U.S. investors watching the race to build AI infrastructure, Nvidia’s growing ties with South Korea’s semiconductor giants are becoming an increasingly important part of the global chip supply chain. On September 28, Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang appeared alongside Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in New York, highlighting the strategic links connecting Nvidia’s AI accelerators with South Korea’s memory technology.
Huang was in New York to receive the Van Fleet Award from The Korea Society, which honored his leadership and innovation in AI semiconductors. The award comes as demand for AI computing continues to reshape the semiconductor industry and deepen cooperation between U.S. technology companies and Korean chipmakers.
Lee and Chey attended the organization’s annual gala to congratulate Huang, offering a glimpse into the unusually close relationships between Nvidia and its key Korean partners.
Lee pointed out that his father, former Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, received the same award 20 years ago. He said Huang had put Nvidia at the center of the AI revolution, redefining what computing can do and helping provide the technology powering industries around the world.
Lee described that role as an example of the “genuine partnership” and economic impact linking the U.S. and South Korea.
The Samsung chairman then turned to a lighter note, saying he and Huang share three things in common.
“Both of our companies are all-in,” Lee said. He also noted that both have daughters named Madison—the English name of Lee’s daughter Won-ju and the name of Huang’s daughter.
The third commonality drew laughter from the audience: “We both love the Galaxy Z Fold8.”
Samsung also displayed a congratulatory video for Huang on a digital billboard in New York’s Times Square.
Chey then highlighted the practical relationship between Nvidia and SK, whose semiconductor operations supply memory products critical to AI systems.
“Whenever I meet Jensen, his question is always, ‘Can you make it faster?’” Chey said, comparing Huang’s urgency with the Korean expression “ppalli ppalli,” or “hurry, hurry.”
“We fit well together,” Chey said. “Nvidia does the design and the brains, and SK makes the memory.”
Chey added that when Huang forgets something, “he knows exactly who to call.”
The comments underscore how AI computing has turned the data center into a new strategic front for the U.S.-South Korea technology alliance. Chey compared that role with the military alliance built by Gen. James Van Fleet seven decades ago, saying the front line has shifted from the battlefield to the data center.
Chey also invoked Huang’s view that buying more can result in greater savings, saying he genuinely believes in the principle.
“I’m really happy to be your partner,” Chey said in a toast. He added that he hoped the partnership would grow faster than demand for Nvidia GPUs.
