South Korea has strengthened its position in the global artificial intelligence race after Samsung Electronics and SK Group announced major agreements worth a combined $950 billion during an AI summit hosted by President Lee Jae Myung in San Francisco.
The landmark partnerships involve some of the world’s biggest technology companies, including Nvidia, Broadcom, OpenAI and Anthropic, reflecting the growing demand for advanced semiconductors and AI infrastructure.
SK Group Announces $750 Billion in AI Partnerships
SK Group secured agreements valued at $750 billion, with the largest partnership involving SK Hynix and Nvidia, estimated to be worth more than $500 billion.
The collaboration focuses on expanding next-generation AI computing by developing advanced memory technologies that will power AI training systems, AI agents and physical AI applications.
As part of the agreement, SK Telecom will build a 2-gigawatt AI data center equipped with Nvidia’s upcoming Vera Rubin chips alongside SK Hynix’s HBM4 high-bandwidth memory. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2027.
Samsung Teams Up With Broadcom
Samsung Electronics also announced a memorandum of understanding with Broadcom valued at up to $200 billion.
The partnership covers several strategic areas, including:
- Advanced AI memory chips
- Semiconductor foundry services
- Next-generation packaging technologies
- Development of Broadcom’s future AI accelerator using Samsung’s latest HBM technology
Samsung will also provide advanced manufacturing using its sub-2-nanometer chip process, reinforcing its ambitions in the AI semiconductor market.
South Korea Strengthens AI Ambitions
During the summit, President Lee unveiled the San Francisco AI Declaration, outlining South Korea’s vision for stronger technological cooperation with the United States.
He said South Korea intends to build an open AI ecosystem capable of accelerating innovation while expanding industrial and consumer AI applications across global markets.
Alongside the summit, Lee met with leading technology executives, including:
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei
- Broadcom CEO Hock Tan
Senior executives from Samsung Electronics, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group and Naver also participated in the discussions.
AI Demand Continues to Outpace Supply
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said conversations with Nvidia, Broadcom, OpenAI and Anthropic revealed that future demand for advanced memory chips could be even higher than current forecasts.
According to Chey, Nvidia’s projected memory requirements over the next five years may continue rising as AI models become increasingly powerful.
He also noted that Broadcom expects memory demand to exceed available supply, while OpenAI continues seeking greater computing capacity for future AI development.
South Korea Expands Long-Term AI Investment
The latest agreements support President Lee’s broader industrial strategy, unveiled last month, which includes more than $576 billion in planned investment for semiconductor production, AI data centers and next-generation AI technologies.
South Korea is positioning itself as one of the world’s leading AI manufacturing hubs by combining government support with partnerships involving the biggest names in artificial intelligence and semiconductor development.
