Nvidia CEO tries to increase attraction in Korea

During his visit to Korea this week, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang not only met with leaders of the Korean memory chip and robotics industries. He is also scheduled to appear on a famous television show and throw the opening pitch at a baseball game in this country.

This shows Korea’s increasingly important role in the global AI ecosystem. This is also Huang’s second visit to Korea in the past 7 months.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix currently produce about 70% of the memory needed for AI chips like Nvidia’s. In addition, Korea’s strengths in manufacturing and robotics also help it become an important link in the physical AI system – integrating AI into robots, vehicles and factories.

“Nvidia is increasingly dependent on Korean suppliers,” Jeff Kim, an analyst at KB Securities wrote in a report. Huang “needs a manufacturing location for physical AI, and Korea is emerging as the perfect testing environment.”

Asia’s fourth largest economy is also currently a major customer of Nvidia. Last October, the company announced that it would provide more than 260,000 of the most advanced AI chips to the government and some of Korea’s leading businesses.

Analysts and investors say South Korea’s importance is growing, as trade tensions dent sales of advanced semiconductor products to China. “Meanwhile, Korean companies are operating high-tech factories that need a lot of these chips,” said Seung-yub Lee – Director of investment fund Quad Investment Management.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged that investment in AI will be a top policy priority, with the goal of making the country one of the three largest AI powers in the world. This policy is also part of an effort to ease the economic impact of population decline.

“Korea is an important part of our ecosystem,” Huang told reporters at a dinner with Korean technology leaders in Taiwan on June 1, the opening day of the Computex technology exhibition.

He emphasized the potential for cooperation in the field of robotics when asked where Nvidia could invest, because “Korea is a manufacturing country and has a limited population.” “We still have a lot of work to do together,” he said.

Huang’s plan also includes attracting this country of 50 million people. He will appear on one of Korea’s most popular talk shows “You Quiz on the Block”. He will also wear the Doosan Bears baseball team shirt to throw out the opening pitch in the match on June 7. Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won also participated in the symbolic polishing. Doosan member companies currently produce robots and materials used in Nvidia’s Blackwell chips.

Park Ju-gun – Director of business analysis company Leaders Index said that Huang learned lessons from the visit in October 2025. The meeting at a fried chicken store in Korea with leaders of Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor at that time attracted great media attention.

Fried chicken served with chilled draft beer is called the “chimaek” combo, a “must try” dish for anyone who comes to Korea. Three technology tycoons enjoyed a meal at Kkanbu Chicken restaurant in Gangnam district, on the occasion of the APEC conference.

In Korean, the word “kkanbu” is widely understood as “close friend” or “trusted partner”, having become globally famous through the Netflix series “Squid Game”, where it symbolizes loyalty between allies.

Huang did not reveal much when asked which Korean business leaders he would meet this time. However, cuisine once again plays an important role in the schedule. According to local media, he can attend a Korean BBQ (barbecue) in Sungsu (Seoul) with leaders from SK Group, Hyundai Motor and LG Group.

Reuters Previously, it was reported that Huang would likely meet LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and leaders of Naver – Korea’s largest online platform.