The chief executive of Nvidia welcomed leading South Korean technology executives to an exclusive dinner gathering Monday evening in Taiwan’s capital, working to strengthen partnerships as the artificial intelligence sector prepares for what he described as an exceptionally demanding period ahead.
Among the attendees at the “Korean Partner Night” were SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung and representatives from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Naver. The event took place at a traditional Taiwanese restaurant in Taipei during the Computex trade show.
“I want to go congratulate them, thank them, and also prepare for the second half of this year. It’s going to be very busy and next year is going to be incredibly busy,” Huang told reporters.
“Korea is a critical part of our ecosystem.”
The Nvidia leader moved between tables, raising toasts with attendees while crowds of supporters and media personnel gathered outside, chanting “Jensen, Jensen!” His arrival temporarily disrupted local traffic flow.
While Huang regularly organizes similar gatherings for Taiwanese suppliers such as chipmaker TSMC during his visits, Monday’s dinner marked the first event specifically arranged for Korean business partners during his Taipei stay.
Stock prices for Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and additional South Korean technology companies climbed Monday as market participants anticipated that expected discussions between the American semiconductor company and South Korean leadership at Computex could result in fresh collaborations in artificial intelligence and robotics sectors.
Following his nearly two-week visit to Taiwan, where he was born and enjoys celebrity-like popularity, Huang indicated he would travel to South Korea next, possibly on Friday.
“We always consider investments in Korea,” he said, speaking after a meal featuring fried oysters, radish omelette and clams, accompanied by Taiwan Beer and Korean soju.
“Really smart companies. Very technical.”
He expressed hopes to “contribute to robotics in Korea,” though he avoided confirming whether meetings with Samsung and SK Hynix would occur in Seoul.
South Korea has become one of Nvidia’s essential markets.
During the previous year, Nvidia announced plans to deliver more than 260,000 of its most sophisticated AI chips to South Korea’s government and several of the nation’s biggest corporations, including Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group, supporting the country’s efforts to enhance its artificial intelligence computing infrastructure.
