Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang is expected to visit Korea this week and embark on a "public-friendly" itinerary. There is talk that during his stay he could hold a so-called "samgyeopsal somaek" gathering—pairing samgyeopsal with soju and beer—with leaders of major domestic corporations around Seongsu-dong in Seoul. With reports that a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO League) first pitch is also being arranged, the business and tech sectors are paying close attention.
According to the industry on the 1st, Huang will wrap up Nvidia's annual artificial intelligence (AI) conference, GTC Taipei, in Taiwan and then carry out a domestic schedule this week. The main itinerary is expected to begin on the 5th.
During the visit, Huang is said to be pushing for meetings with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won are also said to be coordinating meeting schedules with Huang. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is reportedly unable to attend due to an overseas schedule.
Restaurants around Seongsu-dong in Seoul are being mentioned as possible venues for the meetings. As Huang is known to prefer casual encounters over formal events, there is speculation that a meal pairing samgyeopsal with soju and beer could come together.
In business circles, last October's so-called "kkanbu meeting," when Huang met Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chairman Chung Eui-sun at a fried chicken restaurant in Samseong-dong, Seoul, is being recalled. The three shared a dinner of fried chicken and beer and discussed AI and ways to cooperate on future industries.
If the Seongsu-dong meeting materializes, observers say the cooperation agenda could expand beyond AI Semiconductor to Robotics, physical AI, autonomous driving, and the cloud. As Nvidia leads the AI chip market, attention is on whether the scope of cooperation with domestic semiconductor, automotive, and platform corporations will broaden.
Huang is also reportedly pursuing throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on the 7th at a KBO League Doosan Bears home game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. With the possibility of a meeting with Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won being floated, it appears the first-pitch schedule and a roundtable with domestic corporations are being coordinated together.
Huang is also being strongly considered to visit Naver's second headquarters, 1784, in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, on the 8th. Naver 1784 is regarded as a space that concentrates Naver's future technologies, including robots, cloud, digital twins, and a 5G specialized network. If the visit takes place, observers say discussions on AI and robotics technology cooperation between Nvidia and Naver could become more concrete.
Before Huang's trip to Korea, touchpoints with major domestic corporations are also expected to be arranged in Taiwan. During GTC Taipei, officials from major domestic corporations such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, LG, and Naver Cloud are said to be attending the local "Korea Partner Night" event.