Nvidia on Monday unveiled a series of partnerships in South Korea with major technology firms, including SK Hynix and Naver, as it seeks to secure advanced memory chips for its AI expansion and broaden its customer base.
The announcements came during a high-profile visit by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who arrived in South Korea on Friday. Beyond boardroom meetings, Huang drew public attention by sharing meals of grilled pork belly and soju with leading business executives, throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game, and meeting a popular gaming personality.
Nvidia and its South Korean partners, including SK Hynix, SK Telecom and Doosan Group, did not disclose the financial terms of their agreements.
Other Deals
SK Telecom plans to build a gigawatt-scale AI cloud in South Korea using Nvidia technology, with its first AI data centre expected to open in 2027.
Nvidia also announced partnerships with Naver, Doosan, LG Group and Hyundai Motor Group to expand AI infrastructure, robotics, autonomous mobility and next-generation data centres.
Jensen Huang said Nvidia would deepen collaboration with Hyundai on AI-driven manufacturing, robotics and mobility solutions, while also supporting the group’s planned AI data centre project in Saemangeum, which he likened to an “AI Valley.”
Separately, South Korea’s tech ministry said it plans to acquire 9,704 GPUs for a state-backed AI project worth 2.08 trillion won in 2026, including 2,016 of Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin GPUs.
South Korea Stock Rally Falters
South Korea, home to major chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung, has been a key beneficiary of the AI boom. The country’s benchmark Kospi index had doubled over the past six months before falling 8.3% on Monday amid a global tech selloff triggered by stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data.
Samsung and SK Hynix shares dropped 10.2% and 7.7%, respectively. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed concerns over the downturn, saying investors now had an opportunity to buy shares at lower prices and reiterating that the long-term outlook for AI remains strong. He was also scheduled to meet Samsung semiconductor chief Jun Young-hyun later in the day.
(With inputs from Reuters)
