South Korea minister, Nvidia CEO discuss AI ecosystem deals in Seoul

South Korea's Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon met Monday with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Seoul to advance a bilateral AI partnership, discussing chip supplies, AI factory construction and physical AI research cooperation first agreed upon at last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The meeting marks a push by Seoul to translate last year's APEC commitments into concrete action, as South Korea moves to secure a large-scale Nvidia chip supply and anchor the company's research presence on the peninsula.

The two sides reaffirmed "the importance of creating tangible results since the partnership between Korea and Nvidia agreed to last year, on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting," the Science Ministry said, according to The Korea Times.

Discussions covered three main areas, The Korea Times reported: the smooth supply of approximately 260,000 advanced Nvidia chips previously committed to under the APEC agreement, development of an AI factory based on Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform, and cooperation on physical AI research and development.

Nvidia's plan to establish a research and development center in Seoul was also on the agenda, a move that would deepen the company's institutional footprint in South Korea's technology sector.

Physical AI — artificial intelligence systems designed to perceive and act in the physical world — emerged as a focal point of the talks, reflecting both parties' interest in next-generation robotics and autonomous systems.

Huang arrived in Seoul on Friday, June 6, for a four-day visit. During the trip, he met with executives from South Korea's major conglomerates as well as researchers and startup representatives across the domestic AI sector, The Korea Times reported.

The Seoul meeting underscores South Korea's drive to position itself as a regional AI hub, with Nvidia's Vera Rubin-based AI factory and a planned Seoul R&D center central to that strategy, The Korea Times reported.