South Korea has unveiled US$950 billion in artificial intelligence initiatives involving Samsung Electronics, SK Group and major US technology companies, positioning its semiconductor industry at the center of the race for faster chips and larger computing systems.
The agreements were announced after an AI summit hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in San Francisco. Demand for chips and computing infrastructure has been outpacing supply, leading US AI companies to form closer partnerships with South Korea’s semiconductor and memory manufacturers.
SK Group Accounts for US$750 Billion
Reuters reported that SK Group signed agreements worth US$750 billion, including an SK Hynix partnership with Nvidia valued at more than US$500 billion. CNA said the initiative covers large-scale AI data centers and next-generation memory for AI training, AI agents and physical AI applications.
SK Telecom plans to construct a 2-gigawatt data center using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin chips and SK Hynix’s HBM4 high-bandwidth memory. The facility is scheduled to become operational in 2027.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said AI customers were requesting substantially more memory than initially expected following discussions with Nvidia, Anthropic, OpenAI and Broadcom. Chey added that Nvidia could eventually revise its five-year projections upward and return to SK saying, “I want more.”
Samsung Signs Broadcom Agreement Worth Up to US$200 Billion
Samsung Electronics separately signed a memorandum of understanding with Broadcom covering up to US$200 billion. The agreement spans memory chips, foundry services and advanced packaging.
According to CNA, Samsung will work on Broadcom’s next-generation AI accelerator using its high-bandwidth memory technology. Reuters added that Samsung will supply sub-2-nanometer foundry processes and advanced packaging solutions.
Lee Promotes South Korea’s AI Ecosystem
President Lee presented South Korea as a partner in the next stage of global AI development, offering its “dynamic AI ecosystem” to expand industrial and personal AI applications. Lee also introduced the San Francisco AI Declaration, outlining plans for closer technological cooperation between South Korea and the United States.
Lee separately met Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan. Samsung Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Naver founder Lee Hae-jin also attended the summit.
The agreements also support Lee’s broader state-backed AI strategy. Three projects announced in June involve more than US$576 billion for semiconductor production clusters, physical AI ecosystems and AI data centers.
