Nvidia's Jensen Huang meets with Samsung’s Jay Y. Lee and Hyundai’s Euisun Chung as ties deepens

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, arrived in Seoul for his first official visit to South Korea in more than ten years, according to Reuters. He met Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung on Thursday.

The meetings took place while Nvidia continues to expand its role in artificial intelligence across Asia. The company is also positioned in the ongoing tensions between the United States and China over high-end semiconductor exports.

Jensen said he plans to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday. He said Nvidia and South Korea will have several announcements to share soon.

Jensen also commented on earlier discussions in South Korea between U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping.

Trump later said he did not discuss Nvidia’s Blackwell AI chip with Xi. That chip has been a key issue in U.S. export controls aimed at China. Jensen said, “I have every confidence that the two presidents had a very good conversation. It doesn’t have to involve anything that I do.”

He did not try to insert himself into the geopolitical conversation. He kept it direct.

Jensen meets Jay and Euisun over fried chicken and beer

Jensen met Jay and Euisun at Kkanbu Chicken in Gangnam, an area in Seoul known for crowded nightlife and corporate gatherings. The restaurant name “kkanbu” is linked to the idea of a trusted partner, a term that spread globally after Netflix’s hit show “Squid Game.”

The dinner was chimaek, a fried chicken and beer pairing that is common for after-work meetings in South Korea.

Crowds of people waited outside the restaurant. Media, fans, students, and onlookers pointed their phones toward the windows. Jensen is known for speaking directly with people and taking photos.

He came out wearing a black shirt and dark pants. He handed out baskets of chicken and fried cheese to the crowd. There was no stage, no speeches, just movement and people surrounding him.

Inside, the three discussed cooperation. Jensen said future deals with South Korean companies would “please U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korea.” Before leaving, Jensen gave AI computers to both Jay and Euisun.

Each box carried a handwritten message: “To our partnership and future of the world.” The three then linked arms and raised glasses in a love shot, a type of toast in South Korea that signals trust and unity. The moment was public and intentional.

Nvidia hits $5 trillion as Jensen recalls how the company began

Nvidia has now become the first $5 trillion company in the world. The stock rose by 3% and closed at $5.03 trillion in market value on Wednesday. This happened right after Jensen announced plans to build supercomputers for the U.S. government.

He also forecasted $500 billion in new orders for Nvidia’s AI chips. Nvidia’s stock has risen nearly 50% since the start of 2025. The growth reflects global demand for AI systems and infrastructure.

This rise did not happen smoothly. Nvidia reached $100 billion in value only in July 2017. In the mid-1990s, the company almost failed. Jensen was 30 years old in 1993 when he met Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem at a Denny’s diner to discuss building a new kind of chip company.

They had no roadmap. Jensen has said, “Frankly, I had no idea how to do it, nor did they. None of us knew how to do anything,” during an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” in April 2024.

Now the same person who once drew company plans on a diner napkin is in Seoul passing out fried chicken to crowds while meeting the heads of Samsung and Hyundai.

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