Jensen Huang says S. Korea robotics 'very important,' hints at investment [GTC Taipei]

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with senior executives from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, LG Corp, Doosan and domestic startup founders on the sidelines of Nvidia GTC Taipei, saying South Korea is "a very important part of our ecosystem" and signaling a forthcoming visit to the country. Huang, who enjoyed "somaek" — a mix of soju and beer — at the gathering, also hinted at potential investment in robotics.

The remarks came Monday evening at "Korea Partner Night," a dinner event held at a Taiwanese pojangmacha-style bar called "Le Chao," where all bar snacks were priced at 100 New Taiwan dollars (about 4,800 won, or roughly $3.50). The event began around 7 p.m. local time and ran for more than two hours, reflecting Huang's unpretentious personality.

Asked whether Nvidia was considering investment in South Korea, Huang said, "We will always be looking to invest in Korea." He added that South Korea has "a great ecosystem" and "very capable companies," citing chips, DRAM, science, robotics and AI factories as areas of potential collaboration.

Huang singled out robotics as a specific area of focus. Nvidia is currently expanding cooperation with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor, LG Electronics and Doosan in physical AI, including robotics. "I think robotics is very important for Korea," he said, adding that he hoped Nvidia could contribute to the country's robotics development.

He also congratulated SK Hynix, which recently crossed a $1 trillion market capitalization. "I'm very proud of them," Huang said. "I'm so happy to see their success."

Attendees included Kim Jae-jun, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics' memory business division; Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK Hynix; Jeong Su-heon, president of LG Science Park; and Kim Yu-won, CEO of Naver Cloud.

Huang also said South Korea has "tremendous imagination, creativity and ambition" but faces a shrinking labor force, adding that "AI and robots will maximize Korea's potential."

The first toast of the evening was "To AI in Korea."

Huang hinted at the possibility of holding a GTC event in Seoul. Nvidia has held its annual GTC conference in the United States and Taiwan, using it to unveil its vision for AI and other emerging technologies. "Korea has long been a center of esports and PC bang culture, and it has been very close to me since the early days of GeForce," Huang said. "If Korea — Seoul — wants it, I would be happy to hold a GTC there."

He also said he plans to visit South Korea after the Taipei GTC concludes. "This year Nvidia has had a great year, and our Korean partners have also achieved great results," he said. "The second half of this year and next year are expected to be very busy, so I'm visiting Korea to prepare for that."

After wrapping up his Taiwan schedule, Huang is expected to carry out a range of engagements in South Korea, including meetings with the heads of major conglomerates and roundtable discussions.

He is reportedly set to meet SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver founder Lee Hae-jin for a samgyeopsal dinner in Seoul's Seongsu-dong on June 5.

When asked about his meeting schedule with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix during the visit, Huang declined to elaborate. "The most important thing will probably be eating chicken and samgyeopsal in Korea," he said.

Asked whether he had plans to meet President Lee Jae-myung, Huang said, "I would love to."

SK Hynix and Nvidia appear to have met separately before the event and arrived together. Kwak Noh-jung, CEO of SK Hynix, said the two sides spoke Monday about "the future of AI, its potential and the overall partnership." He added that no specific announcements were made, but that the two companies "shared a vision for the overall business and had extensive conversations about the partnership."

Kim Yu-won, CEO of Naver Cloud, said specific details of the cooperation would be announced around June 8, adding that Naver Cloud is "very close to Nvidia and working on many things together."

최태원, 젠슨 황 기조연설 청취…엔비디아 기술 로드맵, 현장서 직접 살펴 [GTC 타이베이]

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