Nvidia Strengthens AI Partnerships with Hyundai, Samsung, SK Telecom, and Naver

Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, is making waves with his first visit to South Korea in 15 years, aiming to unveil groundbreaking initiatives and foster deeper ties with significant tech players like Hyundai Motor, Samsung, SK, and Naver. This week, during the esteemed APEC Summit 2025, Nvidia, alongside the South Korean government, proudly announced an expanded partnership dedicated to enhancing the nation’s AI infrastructure and advancing physical AI capabilities.

This landmark agreement arrives shortly after the U.S. engaged in pivotal technology deals with both Japan and South Korea, marking a concerted effort to strengthen strategic alliances and elevate collaboration in burgeoning technologies, including AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing.

A New Era for South Korea’s AI Landscape

In an exciting development, the South Korean government declared that over 260,000 of Nvidia’s cutting-edge GPUs will be made available to meet the soaring demands for AI technology. Approximately 50,000 GPUs will be allocated for public initiatives, focusing on the development of domestic AI foundation models and the establishment of a national AI data center. The remaining 200,000 GPUs will be instrumental in assisting major companies such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai, and Naver, propelling innovations in AI-driven manufacturing and specialized AI model development.

Nvidia and Samsung: A Powerful Partnership

Samsung has also jumped on the bandwagon, announcing ambitious plans to create an AI mega-factory in collaboration with Nvidia. This facility is set to integrate AI throughout every stage of manufacturing—from semiconductors to mobile devices and robotics. Utilizing more than 50,000 Nvidia GPUs and the Omniverse platform, this intelligent factory will analyze, predict, and optimize production processes in real time.

For over 25 years, Samsung and Nvidia have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership, and they’re now focusing efforts on HBM4, the next-generation memory engineered to power the future of AI applications.

Nvidia will be joining forces with Samsung alongside three leading Korean telecom providers—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) to co-develop AI-RAN. This innovative technology couples mobile base stations with AI, enhancing performance while reducing battery consumption. The newly forged agreement aims to establish next-generation AI-RAN alongside a global testing platform.

Hyundai’s Vision for AI-Driven Mobility

In parallel, Hyundai is pairing with Nvidia to revolutionize AI infrastructure while advancing technologies in physical AI. Their alliance is poised to make strides in autonomous mobility, smart factories, and robotics, with plans to incorporate 50,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for seamless AI model training, validation, and deployment. Additionally, AI research centers will be established in South Korea to bolster the nation’s physical AI efforts.

“AI is transforming every facet of industry, particularly in transportation—from vehicle design to autonomous driving,” Huang emphasized. “Partnering with Hyundai Motor Group—one of the globe’s leading mobility solution providers—we’re poised to create intelligent automobiles and factories that will redefine the multitrillion-dollar mobility sector.”

SK and Naver: Pioneering AI Solutions

Meanwhile, SK Group, the parent company of SK Hynix, is set to collaborate with Nvidia to create Asia’s first enterprise-led manufacturing AI cloud. This partnership will leverage Nvidia’s simulation and digital twin technologies to benefit the government, public institutions, and domestic startups alike.

Naver Cloud, the cloud division of the prominent Korean search engine Naver, is working with Nvidia to develop a next-generation “Physical AI” platform. This initiative will bridge the physical and digital realms, deploying AI infrastructure across essential industries such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, and biotechnology. The goal? To accelerate the adoption of AI solutions tailored for real-world industrial landscapes.

Hae-jin Lee, founder of Naver, stated, “As the automotive sector transitions towards SDVs, we are witnessing the emergence of the ‘Physical AI’ era, where AI directly interacts within industrial systems.”

Conclusion: Shaping the Future Together

Nvidia’s collaborations with major Korean tech giants—spanning initiatives from Samsung’s AI networks to Hyundai’s software-driven vehicles, SK Group’s industrial applications, and Naver’s cloud offerings—underscore an imperative trend: the seamless fusion of AI with hardware across various sectors. These alliances illustrate the collective ambition of global tech leaders in crafting the future of intelligent systems.

Earlier this week, Nvidia’s announcements of extensive partnerships—including those with Eli Lilly, Palantir, and Joby Aviation—further solidified its place as a frontrunner in the tech sector, elevating its market capitalization beyond an extraordinary $5 trillion.

As we witness these monumental advancements, let us embrace the unfolding potential of AI, inviting new possibilities that could enhance our lives, industries, and the very fabric of society. Are you ready to be part of this transformative journey? Join us in exploring the limitless horizons that lie ahead!