Key facts
- Nvidia and SK Group are launching an AI initiative valued at over $500 billion.
- The partnership involves SK Hynix supplying next-generation memory and co-developing high-bandwidth memory for AI.
- SK Telecom will build a 2-gigawatt AI data center, with the first facility expected online in 2027.
- Nvidia, Naver, and Brookfield will expand Naver's AI data center in South Korea.
- Nvidia plans to establish an AI Frontier Lab in Korea for research and development.
Nvidia and South Korea's SK Group have announced a significant AI initiative valued at over $500 billion, focusing on the development of large-scale AI data centers and next-generation memory technologies. This collaboration aims to bolster South Korea's position in the global AI landscape.
The partnership includes a long-term commitment from SK Hynix to supply Nvidia with advanced memory components and to jointly develop high-bandwidth memory (HBM) crucial for AI training, AI agents, and physical AI applications. SK Telecom is set to construct a 2-gigawatt AI data center, utilizing Nvidia's Vera Rubin chips and SK Hynix's HBM4 memory, with the first facility scheduled to be operational by 2027.
In parallel, Nvidia is expanding its collaboration with Naver and Brookfield to enhance Naver's AI data center capabilities in South Korea. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to discuss these investments, emphasizing the nation's commitment to becoming an 'AI Native Nation.' Huang indicated plans for semiconductor partnerships with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, substantial investments in Naver, and cooperation with Hyundai Motor Group on autonomous driving and robotics.
Nvidia also intends to establish an AI Frontier Lab in Korea, bringing leading AI researchers to collaborate with KAIST on developing AI models tailored for the Korean market. This initiative signifies a broad commitment to building AI infrastructure, from chip development to AI applications, across various sectors and research organizations.