"The AI Revolution Would Not Have Been Possible Without Korea"... Global CEOs Respond to President Lee's Vision for an 'AI Hub'

President Lee Holds Consecutive Meetings with Four Global AI CEOs
Also Hosts AI Summit; Announces "San Francisco AI Declaration"
Sam Altman: "The AI revolution would not have been possible without Korea"
Jensen Huang: "Korea’s golden era is

Global artificial intelligence (AI) big tech CEOs who met consecutively with President Lee Jae-myung in San Francisco, USA, have evaluated Korea as a key country not only as an AI semiconductor supplier, but also as a nation capable of building its own AI models and infrastructure. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said, "The AI revolution would not have been possible without Korea," while Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, emphasized building Korea’s independent AI capabilities, saying, "You can import AI, but a nation’s intelligence cannot be outsourced." Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, and Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom, also noted that Korea, with its semiconductors, data centers, and talent pool, can play a central role in the global AI ecosystem.

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

On the 24th (local time), President Lee held a series of individual meetings with the four CEOs of these AI big tech companies in San Francisco, after which they all attended the AI Summit together. In the one-on-one meetings, President Lee requested their participation in Korea's 'three major AI mega projects' and called for expanded investments in Korea. At the summit, he announced the 'San Francisco AI Declaration,' stating his ambition to make Korea a core hub for the global AI supply chain and emerging markets.

According to Kim Yong-beom, policy chief of the Office of the President, at a local briefing, global big tech CEOs welcomed Korea’s timely announcement of large-scale AI infrastructure investment plans. Kim especially highlighted, "CEO Jensen Huang stated that if Naver collaborates with Nvidia, a frontier-level AI model comparable to those in the U.S. can be built in a very short time." Additionally, CEO Jensen Huang and others suggested that Korea should not be content with only using foreign AI models, but should develop its own unique AI models as well.

Jensen Huang: “This is Korea’s Golden Era... Plans for a Korean LLM”

President Lee asked CEO Jensen Huang for Nvidia to play an even more central role in ushering Korea into its golden era of AI. He thanked the company for smoothly fulfilling its promise at last year’s APEC summit to supply GPUs, which is enabling the government’s large-scale AI projects to proceed without delays, and requested further cooperation with Korean companies.

In response, CEO Jensen Huang remarked, “Korea’s vision for an AI-native nation is infusing great energy and inspiration into Korean society,” and introduced collaborative initiatives underway with SK Group, Samsung Electronics, Naver, Hyundai Motor Group, and LG. He also revealed plans to establish a joint AI research center with KAIST and to develop independent AI models by leveraging Korea’s talent and industrial foundation.

Nvidia also plans to deploy its California-based research staff to Korea, thereby strengthening local research capabilities. Specific numbers and the timing of the relocation were not disclosed. Kim added, “Nvidia’s business in Korea is expanding beyond GPU sales to include joint research and development with Hyundai Motor Group, LG, and Naver, which appears to have increased the need for local research.”

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, speaks at the 'San Francisco AI Summit' held on the 24th (local time) at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, attended by President Jae Myung Lee. July 25, 2026 Yonhap News Agency

Sam Altman: “Look at Korea to See the Future of Other Countries”

President Lee introduced the three major mega projects for strengthening national AI competitiveness to CEO Sam Altman, asking for OpenAI’s active engagement as a key partner for Korea. He also asked for Altman’s opinion on how the wealth created in the AI era should be distributed among the people.

Sam Altman replied, “Korea is one of OpenAI's most important partners,” and said he was deeply impressed by President Lee’s AI vision and leadership. He praised Korea’s investments in physical AI and energy sectors, and the three mega projects as exemplary cases globally. He also expressed anticipation for piloting OpenAI’s next-generation AI device, scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2027, in Korea. Regarding wealth distribution, he suggested that a share-based model, where citizens can partake in companies’ growth and achievements, might be better than simple cash grants.

At the AI Summit, Altman also further elevated Korea’s strategic value. He stressed, “The AI revolution would not have been possible without Korea,” highlighting Korea’s role in supplying the semiconductors and infrastructure essential for AI models and data centers. He continued, “Both the Korean economy and people have embraced AI very quickly,” and said, “If you want to imagine what will happen elsewhere going forward, look at Korea.” He added that Korea’s three mega projects would not only drive the Korean economy but also advance the global AI industry to the next level.

Kim noted that CEO Sam Altman repeatedly referred to the ‘three mega projects’ almost as proper nouns during both the one-on-one meeting and the summit, saying, “Big tech CEOs commonly welcomed Korea announcing its AI infrastructure investment plans in a timely manner and moving swiftly to implement them.”

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is speaking at the 'San Francisco AI Summit' held on the 24th (local time) at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, attended by President Lee Jae-myung. 2026.7.25 Yonhap News Agency.

Dario Amodei: “Korea Has Every AI Component”…Collaborating on an Asian Infrastructure Hub

President Lee asked CEO Dario Amodei to make Korea the main Asian AI infrastructure base for Anthropic and to expand investment and cooperation with domestic companies. He emphasized that combining Anthropic’s world-class AI model capabilities with Korea’s semiconductors, data centers, and large-scale AI consumer market could unlock new growth opportunities for both sides. CEO Dario Amodei responded by saying that cooperation with Korean companies is one of his top priorities and outlined collaborative supply arrangements with memory manufacturers, plans to invest in giga-watt-scale AI data centers in Korea, and intentions to expand partnerships in AI safety and cybersecurity.

At the AI Summit, he stated, “Korea’s AI ecosystem is excellent in every aspect,” highlighting that the country possesses the entire AI stack—from semiconductors to infrastructure and data centers, as well as talent. He further explained that Anthropic is expanding partnerships after establishing a Korean office, working with Samsung Electronics, SK, Naver, Nexon, LG, and collaborating with the Korea Institute for AI Safety in AI safety research. CEO Amodei also emphasized that democratic nations should jointly advance AI based on shared values and that Korea should play a critical role in technology, supply chains, and safety.

Kim observed that Anthropic, in response to surging AI demand, is moving beyond model development to secure its own computing infrastructure, stating, “It’s not just about the chips anymore; enormous computing power is now necessary.”

Yonhap News Agency

Hock Tan: “Korea Will Be an AI Hub for the Next 10–20 Years”…Requests Support for Samsung and SK

President Lee also asked CEO Hock Tan for Broadcom’s active participation in building Korea’s AI ecosystem and sovereign AI capabilities. He noted, “AI is a transformative innovation unlike past industries, so the government and companies must work closely together to build the ecosystem and pioneer new markets,” and requested Broadcom’s help as Korea emerges as a leading global AI nation.

Hock Tan responded by sharing examples of HBM collaborations with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix and next-generation AI semiconductors developed with Korean startups such as FuriosaAI. He indicated plans to provide custom AI accelerators and semiconductors for Korean large language models and create global solutions by combining Korea’s memory technology with Broadcom’s AI chips. He stressed that long-term investment in memory semiconductors, data centers, and talent is essential for AI competitiveness, and projected that demand for AI infrastructure will continue to grow at least through 2029.

At the AI Summit, he promised to support Korea’s AI vision, noting that the country can become a central player and global hub for the next 10 to 20 years. According to Kim, Hock Tan also requested during the dinner that President Lee actively support Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, explaining that support for these companies is necessary not just for Korea, but for the stable growth of the global AI industry as a whole.

These CEOs reportedly asked that Korea continue implementing AI policies at its current brisk pace and called for expedited permitting for AI data centers. President Lee replied that he would also pay close attention to speed. Meanwhile, at the dinner between President Lee and the CEOs, Korea’s stock market was also discussed. When President Lee mentioned that economic growth was up significantly, some attendees noted that stock prices had also risen. When President Lee remarked that “stock prices are currently undergoing an adjustment,” CEO Jensen Huang reportedly responded, “Stock prices will rise again,” according to Kim.

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