South Korea to get 260,000 Nvidia chips in AI drive

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Nvidia is deepening its presence in Asia with a major agreement to supply up to 260,000 AI chips to South Korean companies and government bodies, reinforcing the country’s drive for AI self-reliance.

The deal, unveiled at the APEC Summit in South Korea, includes partnerships with some of the nation’s biggest names — Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai, and NAVER Cloud. Together, these firms will use Nvidia’s advanced GPUs to build AI-powered data centers, factories, and research facilities.

Each company plans significant expansions: Samsung and SK Hynix will use Nvidia systems for chip design and manufacturing, Hyundai will focus on autonomous driving and robotics, and NAVER Cloud will scale its national AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, the government will deploy 50,000 GPUs through its AI computing center in collaboration with NHN Cloud and NAVER Cloud.

The initiative pushes South Korea’s AI chip total beyond 300,000 units, transforming the nation into one of the most AI-enabled economies in the world.

The move also reflects Nvidia’s strategic shift after US-China trade tensions restricted its business in China. By partnering with nations pursuing “sovereign AI,” Nvidia is cementing its leadership in the next phase of global AI expansion.