The collaboration combines advanced semiconductor manufacturing, AI memory, and hyperscale data centre investments as South Korea accelerates efforts to strengthen its position in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem through strategic technology partnerships.
NVIDIA and South Korea's SK Group have announced a strategic artificial intelligence initiative valued at more than $500 billion, aimed at accelerating the development of AI infrastructure, next-generation semiconductor technologies and hyperscale data centres. The collaboration marks one of the largest technology partnerships focused on strengthening AI capabilities in South Korea.
The multi-year initiative brings together NVIDIA's AI computing platforms with SK Group's strengths in semiconductor manufacturing, telecommunications and digital infrastructure. The companies said the partnership is designed to support the growing demand for advanced AI computing by combining next-generation memory technologies with large-scale AI data centre deployments.
As part of the agreement, NVIDIA will deepen its collaboration with SK Hynix to secure a long-term supply of advanced memory products while jointly developing future generations of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI model training, autonomous AI agents and physical AI applications. High-bandwidth memory has become a critical component for modern AI accelerators due to its ability to process large volumes of data at high speed.
Next-generation AI infrastructure takes shape
The partnership also includes plans by SK Telecom to establish a 2-gigawatt AI data centre powered by NVIDIA's upcoming Vera Rubin AI chips and SK Hynix's HBM4 memory technology. According to NVIDIA, construction will begin in phases, with the first facility expected to become operational in 2027.
Highlighting South Korea's growing influence in the global AI landscape, NVIDIA Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said the country possesses the key ingredients required to become a global AI leader, including advanced semiconductor capabilities, robust communications networks and large-scale industrial capacity. He noted that collaboration with SK Telecom and SK Hynix would help build a new generation of AI factories capable of supporting the country's next phase of economic growth.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said success in the AI era will increasingly depend on an organisation's ability to generate intelligence rather than simply adopt AI technologies. He added that combining SK Hynix's memory expertise with SK Telecom's infrastructure capabilities would enable South Korea to evolve from a major AI user into a global innovation hub.
South Korea deepens global AI collaboration
In a parallel development, NVIDIA, South Korean internet company Naver and global investment firm Brookfield announced plans to expand Naver's AI data centre infrastructure within the country, further reinforcing South Korea's ambitions to become a regional AI computing centre.
The announcements coincided with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's visit to the United States, where he met senior executives from leading AI and semiconductor companies, including NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic and Broadcom. During an AI summit in Silicon Valley, Lee outlined South Korea's vision for expanding international cooperation in artificial intelligence and introduced the San Francisco AI Declaration, a framework intended to deepen technology collaboration with the United States.
The latest agreements underscore South Korea's broader strategy of strengthening domestic AI infrastructure, expanding semiconductor leadership and fostering international partnerships to support the next generation of AI-driven innovation and industrial growth.
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