AI 황제의 K-로드쇼: 기술 동맹을 넘어 문화적 아이콘이 된 젠슨 황의 방한기 > K-wave Trends

Jensen Huang’s visit to Korea was strictly aimed at the clear strategic goal of ‘building a Korean-style AI ecosystem.’ He solidified the semiconductor supply chain by strengthening the multi-year partnership with SK Hynix, and highly evaluated Korea's technological potential by concretizing AI cloud cooperation with platform companies such as Naver and SK Telecom. In particular, he emphasized that Korea's robotics and AI infrastructure will play a key role in NVIDIA's future strategy, and praised that it would be impossible to implement a true AI supercomputer without Korean companies. His remarks, which elevated Korea beyond simply being a supplier of products and into a joint development partner for future technologies, provided strong motivation to the domestic industry.

What became as hot a topic as the business meeting was his simple and unconventional 'K-culture experience'. The sight of an informal meeting with the heads of major domestic groups at a pork belly restaurant near Hongdae shocked the public. In particular, the behind-the-scenes story of LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, the youngest member, taking on the role of grilling meat himself, provided fresh entertainment to the public who were accustomed to the authoritarian chaebol culture. In addition, the restaurants he visited were instantly transformed into pilgrimage routes, and the chicken menu he enjoyed was reborn as a marketing strategy for the franchise industry, giving rise to the 'Jensen Huang Special' throughout the economy. This was an opportunity to prove that he was more than just a business partner but also a 'pro-Korean person' with a deep affection for Korean food culture and sentiment.

Jensen Hwang's relationship with Korea actually has a deep history dating back to the Yongsan Electronics Market days in the 90s. He recalled his early days visiting Korea after receiving a letter from Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, and emphasized that Korea's gamers and e-sports industry coincided with Nvidia's growth trajectory. He expressed his special affection and gratitude for the Korean market, saying that without Korea's gaming culture and the passion of gamers, NVIDIA would not exist today. These sincere reminiscences of the past are the key to explaining why he feels as if he has returned to his hometown every time he visits Korea.

Of course, this visit to Korea did not only send positive signals to all economic indicators. Stocks such as Naver and Doosan Robotics rose sharply due to expectations of cooperation with Nvidia, but they were unable to avoid the global stock market correction and geopolitical risks that hit the entire KOSPI market. The fact that NVIDIA's major partners, such as LG Electronics and Hyundai Motor Company, were unable to avoid a decline in their stock prices, contrary to expectations, shows the reality that it is difficult for individual companies' good news to completely offset macroeconomic uncertainty. However, securities firms predict that the mid- to long-term benefits that Korean companies will receive when the next-generation AI accelerator and humanoid computing technology proposed by Jensen Huang are applied to actual business sites will still be enormous.