Jensen Huang strengthens South Korea AI partnerships as Nvidia expands robotics and chip alliances

Jensen Huang Hosts Korean Tech Power Dinner In Taipei As Nvidia Deepens Ties With Samsung, SK Hynix For N

Nvidia Strengthens Korea Partnerships Ahead Of AI Demand Surge Huang described South Korea as an essential piece of Nvidia's growing ecosystem as the company prepares for what he expects will be an increasingly busy period for AI infrastructure expansion. "I want to go congratulate them, thank them, and also prepare for the second half of this year," Huang told reporters. "It's going to be very busy and next year is going to be incredibly busy." The Nvidia chief added, "Korea is a critical part of our ecosystem." Why Samsung And SK Hynix Matter To Nvidia's AI Push The gathering marked the first time Huang hosted a dedicated event specifically for Korean partners during his Taipei visit. SK Hynix and Samsung have become increasingly important suppliers in the AI race because of their roles in advanced memory technologies used in AI accelerators and data center infrastructure. During the event, Huang moved between tables, greeting executives and raising toasts as crowds gathered outside the venue. Robotics And Korea's Growing Role In AI Infrastructure Huang said Nvidia is continuing to evaluate investment opportunities in South Korea and expressed interest in expanding into robotics partnerships. "We always consider investments in Korea," he said, adding that Korean firms are "really smart companies" and "very technical." Several South Korea-focused ETFs have outpaced Nvidia's year-to-date gains despite the chipmaker's strong rally. Here's a look: Price Action: Shares of Nvidia closed Monday up 6.26% at $224.36 and decreased by 0.17% to $223.97 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro. Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings place Nvidia in the 98th percentile for growth, reflecting strength across short, medium and long-term time frames. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo Courtesy: FotoField on Shutterstock.com Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

NC founder's past relationship with Jensen Huang back in spotlight - The Korea Times

Two leaders scheduled to meet Sunday to discuss broader gaming AI partnership The long-standing relationship between NC CEO Kim Taek-jin and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is back in the spotlight, as the chief of the global artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant prepares for a rare one-on-one meeting with the Korean game mogul during his visit to Seoul. Huang is set to arrive Friday for a packed itinerary with a group of conglomerate leaders here. Notably, he is scheduled to meet separately with Kim on Sunday to explore comprehensive technological cooperation in gaming and physical AI, referring to AI embedded in robots and autonomous systems. Among Korean gaming executives, Kim is the only one on Huang's official meeting list. Their bond dates back to 2008, when NC launched Aion, its blockbuster massively multiplayer online role-playing game. At the time, the two companies formed a strategic marketing alliance, releasing limited edition Aion GeForce 9800GT graphics cards to commemorate the game's open beta test. GeForce is Nvidia's flagship graphic card brand. That collaboration has seamlessly extended into the cutting-edge hardware era. At the G-Star 2025 game exhibition last November, NC partnered with Nvidia, Samsung Electronics, Intel and Microsoft to showcase its upcoming titles, Aion 2 and Cinder City. The joint exhibition booth successfully demonstrated a high-performance ecosystem, pairing Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50-series graphics chips with Samsung's displays to run NC's next-generation titles. Industry officials said Huang places a premium on loyalty, maintaining deep connections with business leaders who supported Nvidia before it became a trillion-dollar AI juggernaut. This sentiment was mirrored last year when Huang held an informal chicken-and-beer meeting in Seoul with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, referring to them as "gganbu" -- a Korean term for best friends. "While Huang has recently focused on hardware partnerships amid the global semiconductor boom, his meeting with Kim transcends pure business," an industry official said. "It is a symbolic gesture highlighting his loyalty to past partners." The convergence of virtual world modeling and simulation technologies -- areas in which both NC and Nvidia have accumulated significant expertise through gaming and AI -- could provide a foundation for expanded cooperation in robotics and broader physical AI applications. NC has been aggressively pivoting toward its subsidiary, NC AI, which recently joined a consortium with Hyundai Rotem to develop a physical AI-based integrated simulator for the Agency for Defense Development. NC AI is also currently leading the development of a "world model" that allows robots to learn physical understanding, while co-developing intelligent robotics technology with Samsung SDS and POSCO DX.

Korea's robotics alliance with Nvidia boosts major tech firms - The Korea Times

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers a speech during the COMPUTEX 2026 exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap Shares of Korea's major robotics business operators are sharply increasing, driven by mounting anticipation over Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's planned Seoul visit and his repeated signals of interest in deepening collaboration with the local robotics players. On Monday, the Nvidia chief expressed optimism for possible investment in Korea's robotics sector during the Korea Partner Night event at GTC Taipei 2026. The remarks have resonated strongly with investors ahead of his scheduled visit to Seoul, slated for Thursday. His well-documented enthusiasm for physical artificial intelligence (AI) -- the integration of machine intelligence and real-world robotic systems -- has also helped frame Korean industrial heavyweights as potential frontline beneficiaries of the next wave of AI-driven automation. Large-cap robotics stocks, such as LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Doosan Robotics, are also on a sharp rally on the growing expectation of the robotics industry. LG Electronics is the standout performer, with its shares soaring more than 300 percent this year. The stock closed at 392,500 won on Tuesday, the last trading day before the local election holiday, up from 91,400 won on the first trading day of the year. The company is accelerating its push into robotics through its logistics robot -- CLOi CarryBot -- and recently shared its plan to develop a physical AI model based on Nvidia's GR00T humanoid reasoning platform. Hyundai Motor Group is another key beneficiary of the booming robotics industry. Shares of Hyundai Motor rose by more than 140 percent during the same period, with that of Kia increasing around 40 percent, buoyed by increasing investors' attention on the Atlas humanoid robot. The carmaker plans to deploy the robots -- developed by its robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics -- into its major manufacturing facilities here and abroad. Doosan Robotics also reported growth in its shares of more than 100 percent. The industrial robot maker is making efforts to expand its scope of business into AI-powered humanoid robots. Last year, Doosan Group agreed to forge a physical AI partnership with Nvidia into the group's broad business areas, such as construction equipment, power generation equipment and robotics. In April, Madison Huang, the eldest daughter of the Nvidia CEO and a senior director of product marketing at the company, visited a research facility of Doosan Robotics in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. This raises expectations that the Nvidia chief may hold high-profile business meetings with top executives from Doosan Robotics during his visit. The Doosan affiliate is scheduled to launch its first industrial humanoid robot in 2028 by using Nvidia's AI infrastructure. "The rise of physical AI is reframing the position of Korean conglomerates from legacy manufacturing players to strong contenders in the emerging robotics industry," an industry official said. "Huang's Seoul visit will underpin the momentum and help Korean tech firms speed up their expansion into the lucrative AI-driven robotics sector."

Nvidia, Hyundai Motor discuss AI R&D center in S.Korea- report By Investing.com

Investing.com-- Hyundai Motor (KS:005380), NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), and the South Korean government are in final talks over establishing an artificial intelligence technology center in the country, the Korea Economic Daily reported on Thursday. The Saemangeum reclamation project on the southwest coast of South Korea has emerged as the leading candidate for the site, the Korea Economic Daily reported, citing government and industry officials. Get more breaking news on Nvidia and top AI stocks by subscribing to InvestingPro The center would be similar to Nvidia's other R&D bases in locations such as Singapore and Taiwan, and is likely an extension of the memorandum of understanding signed by Hyundai and Nvidia in October 2025. Nvidia had agreed to supply Hyundai with GPUs and jointly establish AI sites in South Korea. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to visit South Korea this week, and is expected to meet Hyundai Chair Euisun Chung and several other business leaders on Friday.

Nvidia chief, SK Group Chey meet in Taipei to discuss AI memory chip cooperation - The Korea Times

Jensen Huang, left, chief executive officer of U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp., poses with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in Taipei, Monday. Captured from SK Group's Facebook account Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp., met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in Taipei to discuss the future of cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) memory, SK Group said Tuesday. The meeting took place in Taipei on Monday, according to a post on SK Group's Facebook account. Both executives were in the Taiwanese capital to attend Computex, one of Asia's largest technology trade shows. "With SK hynix reaching a market capitalization of $1 trillion, the executives of both companies met to share the significance of the milestone," the post said. The gathering also provided an opportunity to reflect on the achievements the two companies have made together in AI memory and reaffirm their commitment to opening a new chapter in AI infrastructure, the post added. Huang earlier cited robotics as a potential area for investment in South Korea ahead of his visit to the country later this week. His trip to Seoul is expected to begin Thursday night, according to industry sources. On Friday, Huang is expected to hold a series of meetings with the heads of major South Korean conglomerates. Among those expected to attend are Chey, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lee Hae-jin, founder and chairman of Naver's board. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung is also positively considering joining the discussions, the sources said. Kim Taek-jin, the CEO of NC Corp., a South Korean gaming company, is also expected to meet with Huang on Sunday, according to industry sources. Business observers say the upcoming talks could move beyond AI semiconductor cooperation to include robotics and physical AI, an emerging field focused on integrating AI with real-world machines and systems. During his previous trip to Seoul in October, which coincided with his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, Huang drew widespread attention when he joined Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chung for a late-night meal of Korean fried chicken and beer, commonly known as "chimaek." Onlookers in South Korea already appear to be excited over Huang's visit, with a website predicting his itinerary drawing attention online. According to industry watchers, an individual under the name of "Jun" created an online map tracking possible movements of Huang and news reports related to the CEO's planned visit.

Nvidia CEO mounts charm push in South Korea with TV talk show, baseball appearances

SEOUL, June 4 (Reuters) - When Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang makes his second visit to South Korea in just seven months this week, it won't be only to meet top memory chip and robotics executives, but to throw the first pitch at a baseball game and appear on a TV talk show. While a celebrity in his own right, the charm push by the Taiwan-born 63-year-old highlights South Korea's critical position in the AI landscape. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix between them make about 70% of the memory needed for AI chips like Nvidia's. And the country's strength in manufacturing and robotics sets it up to be a key player in physical AI, where AI is embedded in robots, cars and factories. "Nvidia's dependence on South Korean suppliers is rising," Jeff Kim, an analyst at Seoul-based KB Securities, wrote in a research note. Huang "needs a manufacturing site for physical AI," Kim said. "South Korea is emerging as a perfect testbed." Asia's fourth-largest economy is also a major Nvidia customer, with the Silicon Valley-based company announcing in October that it would supply more than 260,000 of its most advanced AI chips to the government and some of the country's biggest businesses. Analysts and investors say South Korea's importance has been magnified after trade frictions spoiled sales of the most-advanced semiconductors to China. "South Korean companies are running high-end factories, which need a lot of these kinds of chips," said Seung-yub Lee, a fund manager at Seoul-based Quad Investment Management. President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to make AI investment a top policy priority, aiming to turn South Korea into one of the world's top three AI powers amid a broader push to counter the economic impact of a shrinking population. "Korea is a critical part of our ecosystem," Huang told reporters at a dinner with South Korean tech executives on Monday in Taipei, the first day of the annual, industry-defining Computex trade show. He highlighted robotics when asked where Nvidia could invest, because "Korea is a manufacturing country, and Korea has a population limit." "We have a lot to do together," he said. Huang's plans clearly include courting the country's 50 million-strong population. He will appear on one of South Korea's most popular talk shows, "You Quiz on the Block", which its production company, CJ ENM, likens to the Jimmy Fallon Show in the U.S. And he will don a Doosan Bears jersey to throw the first pitch at Sunday's home game against the Kiwoom Heroes, with Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won acting as the ceremonial first batter. Arms of chaebol Doosan develop robots and make materials used in Nvidia's Blackwell chips. Park Ju-gun, head of corporate analysis firm Leaders Index, said Huang learned a lesson from his visit in October, when a meeting over chicken and beer with the chiefs of Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor at a Kkanbu Chicken outlet generated a big media buzz. Huang was coy when asked by Reuters which South Korean executives he would meet this time, but food will again be a feature. According to local media, he may have a Korean barbecue dinner in Seoul's trendy Sungsu area with executives from SK Group, Hyundai Motor and LG Group. Reuters has reported likely meetings with LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and executives at South Korea's top online platform, Naver. (Reporting by Heejin Kim, Hyunjoo Jin and Brenda Goh; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Ed Davies and Kevin Buckland) By Heejin Kim and Hyunjoo Jin

Hyundai Motor set to deepen robotics, AI partnership with Nvidia - The Korea Times

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during a press conference at Computex 2026 in Taipei, Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap Hyundai Motor Group is expected to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics partnership with Nvidia, as the heads of the two tech firms are highly likely to meet in Seoul later this week -- a move that will strengthen growth momentum for the carmaker's autonomous driving and humanoid robotics. The high-profile meeting would focus on deepening collaboration in the two key technology areas. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to visit Seoul in the coming days. Boston Dynamics, the maker of the Atlas humanoid robot, is at the center of the anticipated collaboration. The company is a major robotics affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group. The carmaker has been advancing Atlas as an industrial-grade humanoid platform, as part of its efforts to become one of the world's most aggressive manufacturing players in the emerging physical AI field, which combines AI with robots designed to operate in real-world environments. The two companies formalized their cooperation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last year, when they announced a partnership to develop AI factory-based mobility solutions by integrating Nvidia's AI infrastructure with Hyundai's manufacturing and mobility ecosystem. Huang also expressed hope that Nvidia would play a larger role in advancing Korea's robotics industry during the Korea Partner Night event at GTC Taipei 2026 on Monday, saying the company is willing to expand its investment in Korea. Industry officials said the upcoming gathering between the two tech moguls will yield a deepening of that arrangement, particularly around Boston Dynamics' efforts to deploy AI-powered robots in industrial settings. Nvidia has also aggressively pursued partnerships with automakers and robotics firms, as part of its push into physical AI. "The relationship between the two firms has been building steadily, and Jensen Huang's Seoul visit could mark a pivotal moment in terms of concrete deliverables," an official from the industry said. "Both firms have strong incentives to go deeper into autonomous driving and robotics." Hyundai Motor Group could adopt Nvidia's autonomous driving platform, Alpamayo, as the carmaker is rushing to close its lingering gap with its overseas rivals in self-driving technology. The group has lagged behind its rivals, such as Tesla and Chinese carmakers, in rolling out commercially viable autonomous systems. The possible partnership with Nvidia's AI-based autonomous driving platform could offer a shortcut to catching up. Huang's Korea visit comes amid a broader tour of Asia, during which the chip giant's chief has met with top executives from leading technology companies. Korea, home to major semiconductor and electronics players, has recently become a more crucial partner for Nvidia, as demand for AI computing infrastructure across the globe continues to surge. Hyundai Motor Group declined to confirm specific agendas for the upcoming meeting between Chung and Huang.