Jensen Huang to Visit Korea This Week... Following the "Kkanbu Meeting," a "Samgyeopsal Gathering" Expected

Growing Anticipation Over Jensen Huang's Visit to Korea
Will He Meet with the Heads of the Four Major Groups Over Samgyeopsal?
Seongsu Gathering Likely on the 5th, Spotlight on AI Collaboration

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA and a leading figure in the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor market, will be visiting South Korea this week. In particular, as discussions emerge about him having a samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) gathering at a restaurant in Seongsu-dong, Seoul during his stay, there is growing anticipation for a second "Kkanbu meeting" following last year's event.

According to the industry on June 1, CEO Huang is expected to arrive in Korea on the evening of June 4, after completing major events such as NVIDIA's annual AI conference "GTC Taipei" in Taiwan this week. Starting on June 5, he is projected to begin a series of meetings with the heads of Korea's leading corporations as part of his official visit.

This gathering is expected to be attended by Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group; Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group; and Lee Hae-jin, Chairman of Naver. Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, is also reportedly reviewing his attendance positively and coordinating the detailed schedule. Meanwhile, Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, is unlikely to attend this time due to overseas commitments. The meeting is most likely to take place on the evening of the 5th, with a samgyeopsal restaurant in Seongsu-dong, Seoul being considered as the venue.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is clinking glasses with internal guests during a chicken meeting with Samsung Group Chairman Jay Y.Lee and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung at Kkanbu Chicken near Samsung Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of October 30 last year. Photo by Jo Yongjun

The industry interprets this upcoming meeting as NVIDIA, which has positioned itself as an "AI systems company," seeking to expand cooperation beyond AI semiconductors into the fields of robotics and physical AI. In particular, with SK hynix supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM), Hyundai Motor focusing on robotics and autonomous driving, Naver advancing AI services and AI cloud, and LG specializing in data center cooling and robotics, each company is seen as a key pillar of NVIDIA's envisioned "AI ecosystem."

There is also interest in whether this occasion will realize the so-called "samgyeopsal meeting," featuring grilled pork belly paired with soju and beer. CEO Huang is known to prefer casual meals even during important meetings with global business leaders and politicians. Amid these developments, some anticipate a reenactment of the "Kkanbu meeting" held in October last year in the bustling district of Samseong-dong, Seoul, where CEO Huang, Chairman Lee, and Executive Chair Chung gathered at a chicken restaurant for an informal conversation that attracted industry-wide attention. Seongsu-dong, too, has recently become a hub for young people, global brands, and cutting-edge IT and startups. Samgyeopsal with soju and beer is also considered an ideal choice for fostering a casual atmosphere among business leaders.

Preparations for CEO Huang's visit to Korea have reportedly involved his eldest daughter, Madison Huang, Senior Director of Omniverse and Robotics Product Marketing at NVIDIA, for the second consecutive year. According to industry sources, Madison planned last year’s "Kkanbu meeting" and has coordinated major event routes and schedules again this year.

Additionally, CEO Huang is expected to meet with Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, during his visit. The two are anticipated to discuss expanding cooperation between their companies, particularly in the field of physical AI. There are also ongoing discussions with Naver about Huang visiting Naver's 1784 headquarters building in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, with June 8 being the likely date for the visit.

However, LG Group, Naver, and NVIDIA have stated that the schedule has not yet been confirmed. A representative from NVIDIA said, "At this time, we cannot confirm CEO Huang's visit to Korea," adding, "It is still under internal review."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.