Nvidia is dramatically expanding its presence in South Korea, securing massive deals with the country’s largest companies and the government itself to build out national AI infrastructure. These partnerships underscore the pivotal role Nvidia ‘s hardware plays in global AI ambition.
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The collaborations involve the deployment of 50,000 Nvidia Blackwell server GPUs across three major entities: Samsung, Hyundai, and the SK Group conglomerate.
Samsung Electronics is partnering with Nvidia to construct a new AI factory dedicated to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. This facility will integrate 50,000 Blackwell GPUs and other Nvidia technologies to improve chipmaking processes, better predict maintenance needs, and enhance the efficiency of autonomous operations. NVIDIA will help Samsung adapt its lithography platform to work seamlessly with the GPUs, a move expected to result in a 20 times increase in performance for the South Korean tech giant.
Meanwhile, Korean carmaker Hyundai will also leverage 50,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs. Hyundai plans to use this enormous processing power to develop its AI models focused on key areas like automotive manufacturing optimization and the advancement of autonomous driving systems.
The SK Group, which includes SK Telecom and major memory chip supplier SK Hynix, will deploy another 50,000 Blackwell server chips to launch an industrial AI cloud. Nvidia states this facility is intended to power the “next generation of memory, robotics, digital twins and intelligent AI agents” across the conglomerate’s diverse business units.
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Beyond corporate deals, Nvidia is also working directly with the South Korean government on its sovereign AI infrastructure. This initiative aims to establish domestic control over critical AI capabilities.
The Korean government is set to deploy 50,000 Nvidia GPUs to the new National AI Computing Center it is establishing. A portion of these units will also be distributed to facilities owned by leading local tech companies, including Kakao and Naver, ensuring broad national access to cutting-edge AI computation.
The scale of these commitments was highlighted by the recent presence of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit, where he was photographed meeting with Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee and Hyundai’s Chung Euisun. The visits underscore the high-level strategic nature of these deals and their impact on South Korea’s future technological landscape.
