Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, concluded a five-day visit to South Korea, which was more than just a business trip or client meeting. His presence underscored the current state of national industrial competitiveness as he engaged with major players like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to discuss collaboration opportunities.
Notably, the term Huang mentioned most frequently during his visit was not artificial intelligence (AI) or data centers, but high-bandwidth memory (HBM). He requested "more HBM" during his meeting with Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group. He also discussed next-generation HBM and foundry cooperation with Samsung Electronics executives. This indicates that the foremost priority for the head of the world's leading AI company was securing South Korea's memory technology, highlighting the rapid changes in the industrial landscape of the AI era.
Historically, the semiconductor industry centered around central processing units (CPUs). With the advent of the smartphone era, mobile application processors became crucial. However, the generative AI era has shifted this paradigm. While NVIDIA's GPUs serve as the brain of AI, HBM acts as the blood vessels supplying the data necessary for AI learning and inference. AI cannot function solely with GPUs; without HBM, the AI industry itself would falter. This is why NVIDIA, now the world's most valuable company, seeks to maintain close ties with South Korean firms, as the key to AI dominance lies in a stable semiconductor supply chain.
Interestingly, Huang managed to maintain a delicate balance between Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. He praised SK Hynix as "the largest memory partner" while showcasing a close relationship with Chey over meals of pork belly and chicken. Simultaneously, he met with Samsung Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun to discuss next-generation HBM5 and foundry collaboration, publicly acknowledging his friendship with Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong. This approach encourages competition among suppliers while ensuring a stable supply chain, a typical negotiation strategy for a global company like NVIDIA that requires both Samsung and SK.
From South Korea's perspective, the key issue is not determining who is NVIDIA's closer partner. The real concern is whether South Korea can continue to possess technologies that the world needs in the AI era.
The winners in the AI industry may not simply be those companies that excel in creating AI services. Instead, the countries that hold essential components and technologies necessary for the entire AI ecosystem are likely to capture greater added value. In this context, South Korea's technological prowess in memory semiconductors is a strategic national asset.
The government and businesses must not become complacent with the success of HBM. Investment in next-generation memory, advanced packaging, AI semiconductor design, foundry services, and power semiconductors must be significantly increased. Additionally, nurturing talent and promoting research and development should be pursued as a national strategy.
Huang's visit reaffirmed that South Korea is not on the periphery of the AI era but is at the heart of the critical supply chain. The reason the leader of a company driving the global AI industry sought collaboration with Samsung and SK in Seoul is clear. While data is often referred to as the new oil of the AI era, it is ultimately semiconductors that drive that data. South Korea currently holds a key role in this semiconductor landscape.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.