"Seventy Years On, Jensen Leads the New Frontline"...Chey Tae-won Congratulates Jensen Huang on Van Fleet Award in the US

CEO Huang Receives This Year's Van Fleet Award
Emphasis on Expanded Korea-U.S. AI and Technology Collaboration
Second Generation Recipient Following His Father in 2017

Tae-won Chey, Chairman of SK Group, attended The Korea Society's 2026 Annual Gala in New York, where he congratulated Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, the recipient of this year's Van Fleet Award, and emphasized the expansion of collaboration between the two companies in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and semiconductors.

During the ceremony on the 28th (local time), Chairman Chey, in his toast, said, "NVIDIA designs the brain, while SK creates the memory. When NVIDIA thinks at lightning speed, SK ensures that those memories are never forgotten."

Citing an anecdote with CEO Huang, Chey identified Korea’s “ppalli-ppalli” (quickly, quickly) spirit as a common trait between the two companies. "Every time I meet Jensen, his first question is always, 'Can't we make it even faster?'" Chey said. "Like Korea’s 'ppalli-ppalli' spirit, we seem to share the same mindset."

Chey also remarked on the historical significance of the Van Fleet Award and the development of the Korea-U.S. alliance. "More than 70 years ago, General Van Fleet built the Korea-U.S. alliance on the battlefield," he said. "And now, seventy years later, Jensen Huang stands at that new forefront." He added, "Today’s front lines are not battlefields, but data centers. The one leading this charge now wears a black leather jacket instead of a military uniform."

He referenced "Jensen's Rule," noting, "The more you buy, the more you save." Chey continued, "I sincerely thank him for inspiring us to think more ambitiously, and I am truly delighted to be your partner."

Finally, Chey suggested a toast to CEO Huang, his family, and the Korea-U.S. alliance. "I hope our partnership will scale up even faster than the demand for GPUs (graphics processing units)," he said, raising his glass.

The Van Fleet Award is named after General James Van Fleet, former commander of the U.S. 8th Army during the Korean War, and is presented annually by The Korea Society, a non-profit organization. The award honors individuals or organizations that have contributed to the promotion of friendship and cooperation between Korea and the United States.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK, are raising their glasses during a chicken and beer gathering at Kkanbu Chicken Samsung Branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on June 7. Photo by Yonhap News

CEO Huang was selected as this year's recipient in recognition of his leadership in driving innovation in AI and accelerated computing, as well as his contributions to strengthening collaboration between Korea and the United States in the AI and semiconductor industries.

Chey is also a previous recipient of the Van Fleet Award, following his late father, Jong-hyun Choi, the former chairman of SK Group; Choi Jonghyun received the award in 1998, and Chey was honored with it in 2017.

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