Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang spent the final leg of his South Korea visit meeting with the country’s leading industrial groups, academic researchers and artificial-intelligence startups, underscoring the company’s ambitions to extend its influence far beyond the semiconductor market.
The packed schedule brought Huang together with executives and researchers from LG Group, Seoul National University, Hyundai Motor Group and Naver, organizations that play increasingly important roles in robotics, cloud computing, autonomous systems and industrial AI.
At LG Group, discussions focused on areas where Nvidia sees growing demand for its technology stack, including robotics, manufacturing AI and data-center infrastructure. LG Electronics has accelerated investments in robotics and industrial automation while expanding businesses tied to AI data centers, particularly cooling and climate-control systems that have become critical as computing power requirements surge.
The talks also highlighted opportunities for broader collaboration across LG affiliates involved in AI models, telecommunications networks and advanced components, all areas that are becoming increasingly intertwined with Nvidia’s expanding ecosystem.
Huang later visited Seoul National University, where he met with AI and robotics researchers and expressed interest in engaging directly with students. Conversations centered on physical AI, a term increasingly used to describe AI systems capable of interacting with and operating in the physical world through robots, autonomous machines and industrial equipment.
The university visit reflected Nvidia’s growing emphasis on research partnerships as competition shifts from training large language models toward building intelligent systems that can perceive, reason and act in real-world environments.
Another closely watched stop was Hyundai Motor Group, where Huang was expected to meet Executive Chair Chung Euisun. The companies have strengthened ties in autonomous driving, robotics and smart-manufacturing technologies, areas many investors view as the next major growth market for AI.
Discussions were expected to include humanoid robotics initiatives involving Boston Dynamics and its Atlas platform, as well as broader applications for AI-powered mobility systems.
Hyundai has emerged as one of Nvidia’s largest industrial customers, deploying approximately 50000 Blackwell graphics processors to support development of AI models used in autonomous vehicles, robotics and factory automation. The two companies have also committed roughly $3 billion toward physical-AI initiatives in South Korea.
At Naver’s 1784 headquarters, Huang explored potential cooperation in sovereign AI, cloud infrastructure, robotics and digital-twin technologies. Naver has positioned itself as one of South Korea’s leading AI developers through its HyperCLOVA X large-language model and investments in cloud computing and intelligent automation.
The visit comes as governments and technology companies increasingly seek domestically controlled AI capabilities, creating new opportunities for partnerships between infrastructure providers such as Nvidia and national technology champions.
The day concluded with a gathering of South Korean AI startups at Seoul’s Shilla Hotel. Huang was scheduled to participate in a discussion with entrepreneurs and executives, including representatives from Upstage, focusing on generative AI, semiconductor infrastructure, global expansion and the development of the country’s startup ecosystem.
On June 8, local time, the series of meetings illustrated how Nvidia is positioning itself not merely as a supplier of advanced processors but as a central player in the broader AI economy. As competition increasingly shifts toward robotics, autonomous systems and industrial AI applications, partnerships with manufacturers, researchers and software developers are becoming as strategically important as the chips themselves.
Huang was expected to depart South Korea late June 8 or during the morning of June 9, local time.
