Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's four-day visit to South Korea demonstrated that the country is emerging as a core partner in the physical AI era. Meeting in succession with the heads of SK Corp, LG Corp, Hyundai Motor Co, Naver and Doosan, Huang discussed ways to deepen AI cooperation and declared, "Now is Korea's moment." His message was clear: as the world moves beyond generative AI toward physical AI — robots, self-driving cars and smart factories that operate in the real world — South Korea's value as a manufacturing powerhouse has never been greater.
The visit produced a range of concrete cooperation plans. SK Hynix will work with Nvidia on next-generation AI memory chips and AI factory construction, while SK Telecom will pursue an AI cloud project. Samsung Electronics will strengthen collaboration on next-generation HBM and autonomous driving semiconductors, and LG Corp will expand its work in physical AI, smart manufacturing and robotics. Hyundai Motor will advance its autonomous driving and robotics technology, while Naver is pushing to build an Nvidia platform-based AI factory and expand overseas. Taken together, the agenda stretches well beyond the semiconductor supply chain to encompass AI infrastructure, manufacturing and mobility.
Particularly notable is Nvidia's plan to establish an AI technology center in South Korea. The company has already begun recruiting for the facility and intends to expand collaboration with Korean researchers in digital twin, robotics and humanoid robot AI. When Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung proposed that Nvidia participate in the Saemangeum advanced industry cluster, Huang responded positively to the idea of developing Saemangeum into an "AI Valley" — a signal that substantive expansion of AI research, development and advanced manufacturing cooperation could be on the horizon.
Skeptics may talk of an AI bubble, but the broader AI transformation is an irreversible tide. American big-tech companies are pouring vast capital into AI and data center construction, and China and Middle Eastern nations are scaling up state-level investment as well.
AI competitiveness is fast becoming national competitiveness. If South Korea can leverage its world-class semiconductor and manufacturing capabilities to move up the AI value chain, it could offer a genuine way out of the country's prolonged low-growth cycle. However, the partnership with Nvidia must not slide into excessive dependence. Korea should make full use of Nvidia's technology and platform while simultaneously building its own AI models, software and next-generation semiconductor capabilities. In manufacturing, robotics and mobility, it must accumulate proprietary data and applied technology to secure a leading position in AI.
The government has an equally important role to play. It must resolve the power supply and site constraints that stand in the way of data center construction, and accelerate both talent development and regulatory reform. Competition in the AI era is a race in technology and in speed. The hope is that Huang's visit translates into lasting, substantive results — not a one-time event.
meelee@heraldcorp.com
