Overview
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang completed a four‑day Seoul visit that mixed high‑profile public events with business talks, including a samgyeopsal dinner with chaebol leaders, a TV appearance and a ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears game.
- Huang said Nvidia has begun hiring for a Korea R&D center and will construct a physical site once staffing targets are met, framing onshore research as a next step rather than an already finished project.
- Huang confirmed that Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron have been qualified on HBM4 memory and are in production for Nvidia’s upcoming accelerator platforms, strengthening Nvidia’s supply chain for next‑generation AI chips.
- Local media report that Hyundai, Nvidia and the South Korean government are in late talks about an Nvidia‑backed AI technology center with Saemangeum named as a candidate site, but Hyundai and officials have not formally confirmed a deal.
- If realized, the partnership would tie Korea’s memory and manufacturing strengths to Nvidia’s push for “physical AI,” likely speeding robot and smart‑factory deployments, expanding hiring in AI and robotics, and raising the country’s role in global AI infrastructure.