South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held a meeting with Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang on Friday in San Francisco, during which the Nvidia chief unveiled a series of major cooperation projects with South Korean technology firms — headlined by a $500 billion business partnership with SK Group.

The meeting took place on the first day of President Lee's two-day trip to San Francisco, aimed at promoting artificial intelligence investment and cooperation between global tech giants and South Korea. The discussions were part of a broader AI gathering in San Francisco that brought together the leaders of global technology companies and the heads of major South Korean conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.

During his meeting with President Lee, Huang detailed several collaborative initiatives. Nvidia plans to jointly develop a self-driving Genesis sedan with Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea's largest automotive manufacturer, an area where Hyundai has already committed heavily to autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle platforms. The company also intends to make a large-scale investment in Naver, South Korea's leading internet portal and search engine, to support the platform's domestic and international expansion. Naver has been building its own AI capabilities, including its HyperCLOVA X large language model, positioning itself as a domestic alternative to U.S.-dominated AI platforms.

Huang further noted that Nvidia plans to sign partnerships focused on chip design and memory design with SK hynix Inc. and Samsung Electronics, two of the world's foremost semiconductor manufacturers. SK hynix is a leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a critical component in Nvidia's AI accelerators, while Samsung Electronics operates both as a major memory chipmaker and the world's second-largest contract chip manufacturer.

Additionally, the Nvidia CEO said his company will collaborate with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to build what he described as a "Korea AI." Nvidia intends to develop a large language model for South Korea within the country through this partnership. The initiative aligns with South Korea's broader national strategy to strengthen its domestic AI infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign AI platforms.

The announcements underscore the deepening ties between Nvidia — the world's dominant designer of AI accelerators — and South Korea's technology ecosystem, which spans memory chips, automotive innovation, AI platforms, and academic research. The partnership commitments also come as countries and companies worldwide race to secure positions across the AI supply chain, from chip design and manufacturing to software and applied AI systems.