Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, visited South Korea for the first time in seven months and began his official schedule by meeting pro gamer Faker, also known as Lee Sang-hyeok, showcasing his affection for Korean gaming culture and the esports industry.
According to Yonhap News, on June 5, Huang visited T1's esports PC cafe, T1 Base Camp, located near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where he met with Faker and the T1 team. T1 is a leading esports organization in South Korea, known for its association with the globally recognized League of Legends star, Faker.
During the meeting, Huang stated, "Gaming was the starting point for NVIDIA," and added, "South Korea is the optimal market for esports." He noted that Korean gamers choose the best graphics processing units (GPUs) to secure victories, which he identified as NVIDIA GPUs.
Huang also referred to South Korea as the birthplace of esports, expressing, "I am also a fan of you (T1)." He had previously mentioned Faker during a public event in South Korea last year, demonstrating his admiration.
After conversing with Faker, Huang gifted him a signed GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. He also engaged warmly with fans present, shaking hands and posing for photos.
Business circles are noting Huang's choice to visit the esports scene first, rather than meeting with major corporate leaders or semiconductor factories immediately after arriving in South Korea. This move is interpreted as a symbolic gesture, highlighting that while NVIDIA is currently a dominant player in the AI semiconductor market, its roots lie in the PC gaming sector.
Upon his arrival, Huang emphasized the importance of collaboration with South Korea, stating, "Core semiconductor production will become even more critical in the future," and pledged to strengthen partnerships with South Korean semiconductor companies.
During his visit, Huang is scheduled to meet with key figures from major companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor Group, LG, and Naver to discuss cooperation on AI semiconductors, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and AI infrastructure. This meeting with Faker symbolizes both NVIDIA's origins and its future as the company evolves from gaming into a leader in the AI era.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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