At Monday’s Korea-US Business Roundtable, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang held a rare trilateral meeting, fueling expectations of deeper AI chip collaboration.
SK hynix, the memory chip unit of SK Group, and Samsung Electronics are locked in a fierce competition in high-bandwidth memory, with supply to Nvidia — the dominant graphics processing unit-maker — emerging as the key battleground. SK hynix is currently supplying a majority of the latest HBMs for Nvidia, as Samsung is waiting to pass qualification tests for its next-generation HBM4 and HBM3E chips.
Before the sessions began, Huang was seen greeting Samsung’s Lee and Chey, with Lee and Huang exchanging a hug. While details of their discussion were not disclosed, the rare trilateral encounter fueled anticipation of stronger cooperation between Nvidia and the two Korean memory chip-makers.
While Korean firms in other sectors such as shipbuilding, aerospace and nuclear energy announced investment and partnership plans with US counterparts, Samsung Electronics and SK hyinx did not unveil new commitments. Still ,the Korean chiefs reportedly delivered their intentions for further investment as both are pushing ahead with local fab construction.
Samsung is investing $37 billion to construct an advanced fab in Taylor, Texas, scheduled to begin operations in 2026. SK hynix is putting $3.87 billion into a new advanced packaging facility in Indiana, set to start production in 2028.
The meeting of Korean and US business chiefs came against the backdrop of Washington’s push for its subsidy program tied to potential equity stakes in recipient firms — a controversial proposal in Seoul — and is likely to prompt the chipmakers to weigh additional investment commitments rather than giving up equity.
US President Donald Trump announced last week that Washington is investing $8.9 billion in Intel to acquire a 10 percent stake in the US chipmaker, adding that he intends to pursue more such deals. Because the Intel investment includes federal subsidies granted under the Chips Act, similar moves are expected to be attempted with Samsung and SK hynix. They have been promised $4.7 billion and $458 million in subsidies, respectively.
Delivering a keynote speech at the roundtable event, South Korean President Lee underscored the strategic role of Korean high-bandwidth memory in powering next-generation AI.
“Korean-made HBM, essential for advanced AI chips, will play a key role in securing US competitiveness,” he said.
The president added that Samsung and SK will expand US investments in chip packaging, foundry fabs and manufacturing sites and strengthen the US position as a hub in the global semiconductor supply chain.
https://m.theinvestor.co.kr/article/10562296
