During his visit to Seoul this week, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang met with the heads of Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group – global leaders in memory chips and mobility technology – highlighting South Korea’s growing role as a key partner in the global AI and semiconductor supply chain.
Huang appeared onstage at NVIDIA’s GeForce Gamer Festival alongside Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Hyundai Chairman Euisun Chung – just hours after the three shared a private dinner. The rare joint appearance by Korea’s top business figures reflects NVIDIA’s expanding ties with Korean firms across chips, automotive technology, and robotics.
During the event, Huang recalled a 1996 letter from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee that inspired his first trip to Korea and early collaboration between the two companies. Lee confirmed the story, noting that NVIDIA’s partnership with Samsung began when it used Samsung’s GDDR memory for its GeForce 256 graphics card 25 years ago.
Huang, in Seoul ahead of the APEC summit, hinted that NVIDIA’s next major announcement will involve robotics “100 percent connected to Korea.” The company is expected to unveil new AI chip supply agreements with Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai, and Naver on October 31.
The visit highlights how U.S. and Korean tech alliances are tightening as Washington seeks to secure non-Chinese supply chains for advanced semiconductors. For NVIDIA, whose chips drive much of the global AI boom, Korean partners offer both strategic resilience and manufacturing expertise vital to its growth.
As the three CEOs exchanged high-fives and laughter onstage, Huang thanked Korean gamers, saying, “Without Korea’s PC café culture and love for e-sports, NVIDIA wouldn’t be what it is today.”
