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Global corporate diplomacy surrounding semiconductors and physical AI is in full swing. The highlight of this week’s diplomacy is Korea. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is visiting Seoul to meet with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won to discuss a wide range of topics from semiconductors to physical AI and the broader AI industry.

Last month, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong reportedly visited Taiwan to meet Rick Tsai, CEO of MediaTek, the island’s largest fabless semiconductor design company. Chey Tae-won has already met Huang once in Taiwan and also held talks with TSMC Chairman Mark Liu to reaffirm cooperation. While past meetings between NVIDIA and Korean industry leaders focused mainly on memory semiconductor supply, this time the scope has expanded to physical AI, which carries significant meaning. Huang’s four-day itinerary also includes meetings with startups, raising expectations that NVIDIA’s influence could spread across the entire AI ecosystem.

According to industry sources on June 4, Huang will arrive in Korea on the afternoon of June 5 and immediately join a “samgyeopsal gathering” with the heads of major domestic companies in Seoul’s Seongsu district.

The companies expected to participate include SK, Hyundai Motor, LG, and Naver. Analysts suggest that NVIDIA, facing the challenge of expanding into physical AI, sees collaboration with Korea’s manufacturing giants as essential, given the relatively weak manufacturing base of U.S. firms. Discussions are expected to cover not only high-bandwidth memory (HBM) but also autonomous driving, robotics, physical AI, and AI data centers in a relaxed atmosphere.

On June 7, Huang will throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears home game in Jamsil Baseball Stadium, with Chairman Park Jeong-won responding as the batter. Huang will wear a uniform with the number 93, symbolizing NVIDIA’s founding year. Doosan Group has long invested in robotics through Doosan Robotics. Beyond the ceremonial pitch, Huang is expected to discuss robotics and physical AI cooperation with Park and Doosan Robotics CEO Kim Min-pyo during the game.

For Korean companies seeking momentum in robotics, collaboration with NVIDIA could be an opportunity to boost corporate value. Doosan Robotics, for instance, has long posted operating losses and is only expected to turn a profit this year.

On June 1 in Taiwan, Huang told Korean companies, “I believe robotics is very important in Korea, and I hope NVIDIA can contribute to Korea’s robotics development.”

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, competition over HBM continues. Before the upcoming meetings in Korea, several HBM-related talks had already taken place in Taiwan. Last month, Chairman Lee Jae-yong reportedly met MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai to discuss foundry cooperation. With TSMC’s production capacity fully booked, Samsung’s foundry is seen as a possible alternative, making Lee’s direct meeting with Tsai significant.

At Computex, Asia’s largest ICT exhibition held in Taiwan, Chey Tae-won met Huang in advance. Huang visited SK Hynix’s booth and wrote “Please make more” on an HBM4E wafer, showcasing strong cooperation. Chey also met TSMC Chairman Mark Liu to strengthen collaboration in next-generation HBM development and advanced packaging, and held talks with Foxconn Chairman Liu Young-way on enhancing AI infrastructure competitiveness.

                                                                                                             Ahn So-yeon