Jensen Huang, NVIDIA's CEO, is visiting Seoul this week to strengthen partnerships with Korean technology leaders, marking a critical moment in the global race to secure AI chip supplies. The visit follows high-level meetings between NVIDIA and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), as well as SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, underscoring how the world's most powerful AI company now relies on a complex web of international suppliers to meet surging demand from tech giants building artificial intelligence systems.

Why Is NVIDIA's CEO Making This Seoul Trip Now?

The timing reveals a fundamental shift in AI's supply chain. SK hynix, the world's largest supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, has become essential to NVIDIA's business. HBM chips are specialized memory components that dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of AI accelerators, the powerful processors that train and run large language models and other AI systems. During a visit to Computex 2026 in Taiwan, Huang visited SK hynix's exhibition booth and wrote "Please make more" on a sample of the company's HBM4E memory chips, highlighting NVIDIA's intense appetite for the Korean supplier's products.

This casual note masks a serious supply constraint. Global AI chip supply chains are facing growing bottlenecks as demand from major technology companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft continues to surge. SK hynix and TSMC have become the gatekeepers of AI infrastructure, and NVIDIA's CEO is making the rounds to ensure his company remains a priority customer.

What Meetings and Events Are Scheduled During Huang's Seoul Visit?

Huang's itinerary reveals the breadth of NVIDIA's ambitions in Korea. He is scheduled to meet with several of South Korea's most influential business leaders, including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver founder and Chairman Lee Hae-jin. These are not ceremonial visits; they signal NVIDIA's interest in expanding AI applications across automotive, consumer electronics, and internet services.

• Television and Sports Appearances: Huang will appear on the popular television program "You Quiz on the Block" and throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears baseball game, wearing a Doosan Bears uniform with the number 93, representing NVIDIA's founding year.
• Gaming and Robotics Discussions: He is expected to meet with NC CEO Kim Taek-jin to discuss cooperation in gaming and physical AI, areas where NVIDIA's graphics processors and AI chips are becoming increasingly important.
• Startup and Academic Engagement: Huang will hold a closed-door meeting with leaders of Korean AI and robotics startups, including Nota AI, RLWRLD, and Upstage, and visit Seoul National University's AI Institute and Robotics Institute.
• Corporate Headquarters Visits: Visits to Naver's headquarters, Hyundai Motor Group offices, and LG Group facilities are planned, with discussions expected to focus on AI factories, sovereign AI, and physical AI applications.

The visit also follows an earlier trip by Huang's daughter, Madison Huang, who serves on NVIDIA's board, suggesting a multi-generational commitment to strengthening ties with Korean technology partners.

How Are Korean Chipmakers Positioning Themselves in the AI Supply Chain?

SK hynix is not waiting passively for NVIDIA's orders. The company has been aggressively developing next-generation memory technologies in partnership with TSMC. SK hynix's sixth-generation HBM4 chip, which is set to be used in NVIDIA's Vera Rubin platform, combines TSMC's advanced 12-nanometer base die technology with SK hynix's proprietary 1b DRAM process, its fifth-generation 10-nanometer-class technology. This collaboration demonstrates how Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers have become interdependent in serving NVIDIA's needs.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won recently held meetings with both TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang within days of each other. The meeting between Chey and Wei in Taiwan on Wednesday was the first in-person discussion between the two leaders since June 2024, according to SK hynix. During these talks, both sides agreed to broaden their collaboration across next-generation HBM development and advanced packaging technologies, which are considered critical for enhancing the performance and efficiency of AI accelerators.

SK hynix's strategy reflects a broader reality: the company cannot afford to lose NVIDIA's business, and NVIDIA cannot afford to lose SK hynix's supply. This mutual dependence has elevated Korean chipmakers to a position of unprecedented influence in the global AI economy.

What Does This Mean for the Future of AI Infrastructure?

Huang's Seoul visit underscores a critical truth about AI's rapid expansion: the technology's growth is constrained not by software innovation or algorithmic breakthroughs, but by the physical supply of specialized chips. NVIDIA designs the processors, but it cannot manufacture them at scale without partners like TSMC and SK hynix. As AI demand continues to accelerate, these supply chain relationships will become even more strategically important.

The visit also signals NVIDIA's broader ambitions in Korea beyond memory chips. By meeting with automotive, consumer electronics, and internet services leaders, Huang is positioning NVIDIA as a foundational technology partner for Korea's digital transformation. Whether through AI-powered autonomous vehicles at Hyundai, AI-enhanced consumer devices at LG, or AI-driven search and services at Naver, NVIDIA's chips are becoming embedded in the infrastructure of Korean technology companies.

For Korean companies, the visit represents both opportunity and risk. NVIDIA's endorsement can accelerate their AI initiatives, but it also deepens their dependence on a single American company for critical technology. As geopolitical tensions around AI and semiconductors continue to rise, this dependence may become increasingly complicated.