U.S. technology giant Nvidia announced on Friday that it will provide 260,000 of its most advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) to South Korea as part of a major partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The announcement came as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
South Korea, home to global semiconductor leaders Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, is positioning itself as a key player in the rapidly expanding AI industry. President Lee has repeatedly voiced his ambition for the nation to become a global AI powerhouse, leveraging its strong base in chip manufacturing and digital innovation.
In a statement, Nvidia said it was working closely with South Korea “to expand the nation’s AI infrastructure with over a quarter-million Nvidia GPUs across its sovereign clouds and AI factories.” The large-scale deployment marks one of Nvidia’s most significant collaborations in Asia to date, underscoring the growing importance of AI computing capabilities in national development strategies.
Under the agreement, 50,000 of the advanced chips will be allocated to Samsung Electronics for a new “AI factory” designed to integrate artificial intelligence into every stage of the company’s manufacturing processes. “By deploying more than 50,000 Nvidia GPUs, AI will be embedded throughout Samsung’s entire manufacturing flow,” the tech giant said in a statement.
Another 50,000 chips will be distributed to SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group to enhance their AI research and facility operations. NAVER Cloud, operator of South Korea’s largest search engine, will receive 60,000 GPUs to expand its AI infrastructure and cloud computing capabilities. The remaining 50,000 units will be delivered to the National AI Computing Center in Seoul and various cloud service and IT providers across the country.
Huang emphasized South Korea’s pivotal role in the global AI race, saying, “Korea’s leadership in technology and manufacturing positions it at the heart of the AI industrial revolution — where accelerated computing infrastructure becomes as vital as power grids and broadband.”
The deal marks a major step forward in South Korea’s efforts to establish itself as a global hub for AI innovation, aligning with its broader strategy to enhance digital infrastructure and attract international technology partnerships.
