Global CEOs Gather Before Korean President... Lee: "Korea Will Be an AI Supply Chain Partner" (Comprehensive)

Lee Attends AI Summit in San Francisco, USA
"Korea to Emerge as an Irreplaceable Global AI Supplier"

From Korea's Leading AI Companies Like Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor
To Global Big Tech Leaders Such as Nvidia and OpenAI
All Voices United: "Making Korea a Global AI Hub"

On July 24 (local time), President Lee Jae-myung declared in San Francisco, USA, "Building on our world-class competitiveness and production capacity in memory semiconductors, Korea will become a reliable production base and supply chain partner for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors."

While visiting the United States, President Lee made this announcement at the AI Summit held locally, delivering the "San Francisco AI Declaration." He emphasized, "The Republic of Korea will emerge as a key country at the heart of the irreplaceable global AI supply chain." Regarding the San Francisco AI Declaration, President Lee explained, "This large-scale AI investment initiative has been carefully prepared by Korea—whose companies' total corporate value exceeds 2,000 trillion won—and leading global companies, coming together with a shared vision over a long period."

Lee: "Korea to Ensure Uninterrupted Semiconductor Production Amid Any Crisis"

President Lee Jae-myung is applauding with attendees at the San Francisco AI Summit held at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, on the 24th (local time). 2026.7.25 Yonhap News
Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee stated, "We will ensure that companies around the world can stably build AI infrastructure and continue technological innovation, regardless of circumstances. To this end, in June, Korea announced a large-scale investment plan and is now transitioning to a multi-hub production base system, with both the Seoul metropolitan area and other provinces jointly responsible for the semiconductor supply chain."

In connection with this, President Lee described Korea's approach as "a nationwide supply chain safety mechanism that enables continued semiconductor production in the face of any crisis, and a responsible investment aimed at preventing global semiconductor shortages." He further stressed, "We will establish a world-class AI hub that not only ensures a stable supply of key infrastructure needed by the global AI ecosystem—by connecting data centers, which serve as AI brains, and physical AI that realizes AI in the real world—but also goes beyond semiconductors."

President Lee also highlighted Korea's "global manufacturing competitiveness, digital infrastructure, and dynamic AI ecosystem," emphasizing, "Above all, we have companies and citizens who swiftly embrace new technologies, as well as apply them to industry and daily life before anyone else." He added, "We will rapidly spread AI to industrial sites, public services, and every aspect of daily life, creating new markets and demand," and proclaimed, "Korea will become both a global AI testbed and a production platform."

Additionally, President Lee declared, "We will become a global hub expanding the AI market, not just a country that utilizes AI," and continued, "We will build horizontal, cooperative networks with diverse countries to establish new AI markets and give more nations' peoples the chance to participate in AI innovation." In particular, President Lee emphasized, "Our cooperation must not be limited to just the leading technology countries; this collaborative prosperity should extend to developing countries as they build their own new AI ecosystems."

President Lee Jae-myung announced the "San Francisco AI Declaration" at the "San Francisco AI Summit" held at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, on the 24th (local time). 2026.7.25 Yonhap News Agency

He also spoke about the Korean government's "AI for All" policy. President Lee said, "With the vision of AI for everyone and AI for solving humanity's grand challenges, Korea is pursuing a global AI hub initiative in cooperation with international organizations." He pledged, "We will be a responsible partner that shares the opportunities and benefits of AI globally, working together to grow—not Korea alone."

President Lee outlined a vision for what he called the "AI Basic Society," saying, "We will shape an era where AI develops in a more responsible and human-centric way, making its achievements new opportunities for everyone." He further noted, "Even in the AI era, we will ensure that every citizen enjoys stronger guarantees for essential rights such as education and healthcare, and build a society where no small business, self-employed person, or vulnerable group is left behind." He concluded, "We will do our part so that the philosophy of the AI Basic Society can spread throughout the international community."

President Lee quoted lyrics from the popular 1990s American sitcom Friends: "I'll be there for you, because you're there for me too." He added, "When we come together, AI can bring hope to more people and create a brighter and greater future. I ask that you help us build an AI future for everyone."

Domestic and Global Big Tech Leaders Gather... Jensen Huang: "Advancing Next-Generation AI with Samsung and SK hynix"

President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, at the 'San Francisco AI Summit' held at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, on the 24th (local time). 2026.7.25 Yonhap News
Photo by Yonhap News

Attendees at the event included Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, and NAVER Founder and Global Investment Officer Lee Hae-jin. From global big tech, the summit welcomed Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia; Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic; and Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declared, "This is the golden age for Korea," expressing strong intent to work together with Korean companies on next-generation AI, supercomputers, robotics, and digital factories. He particularly stressed plans to greatly expand AI semiconductor and infrastructure collaboration with SK Group, stating, "We have decided to broaden our partnership, up to a 500 billion dollar chip supply deal, and we will jointly purchase and develop vast amounts of memory through this alliance."

With Samsung Electronics, collaboration will focus on next-generation AI semiconductor manufacturing and robotics. Huang stated, "We will advance next-generation AI and semiconductor manufacturing together with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix," and added, "With Hyundai Motor Group, we will build robotics, digital factories, and next-generation digital twin plants. With LG, we will create the energy infrastructure needed for the AI era."

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong emphasized that cooperation between Korean and U.S. companies is essential for building the AI ecosystem. He asserted, "The AI era cannot be built by the efforts of a single company or nation alone. We must build a perfect ecosystem—from innovative AI models and cutting-edge semiconductors to data centers and abundant power for reliable services. Global cooperation across borders is essential."

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK is speaking at the 'San Francisco AI Summit' held at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, on the 24th (local time), attended by President Lee Jae-myung. July 25, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won shared that in recent meetings, global AI company CEOs are all demanding more semiconductors and computing power than anticipated. Chey said, "Every time I meet with CEO Huang, he asks for more semiconductors," and added, "He outlined Nvidia's semiconductor needs for the next five years, and frankly, it's daunting." He remarked that both Anthropic and OpenAI are also requesting increased supply of computing infrastructure and memory semiconductors needed for AI model development.

Hyundai Motor Group is joining hands with Nvidia to expand Korea's physical AI ecosystem. Hyundai Motor and Nvidia plan to each establish a "Robotics Application Research Center" and an "AI Technical Support Center" in Korea. These two centers will serve as bases for AI technology development and fostering talent in physical AI. Executive Chair Euisun Chung stated, "Hyundai Motor Group aims to open a strong 'open ecosystem' with the goal of advancing domestic robot AI technology, positioning Korea as a global hub for the upcoming convergence of robotics and AI industries."

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, also agreed with the government's "AI for All" vision, remarking, "The spirit of challenge among Korean entrepreneurs toward new technology, supported by the Korean government's infrastructure investment, will serve as an outstanding compass and global standard, driving common prosperity for humanity around the world."

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