Lee Courts US AI Chiefs to Deepen Korea Chip Ties

Surging demand for generative AI has made high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, and graphics processors critical bottlenecks in data-center expansion. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix sit at the center of that supply chain as leading memory-chip makers, while Seoul is seeking to turn Korea’s manufacturing strength into a broader role in AI infrastructure and large-scale model projects. Deeper ties with US technology companies could help Korea move beyond component exports and secure influence over future computing investment.

During his first US visit since taking office in August 2025, President Lee Jae Myung brought executives from Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and other Korean companies to business meetings and planned talks with the chiefs of Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic. Discussions are set to cover HBM supply, GPU infrastructure and large AI projects, according to the report. No investment value, procurement volume or binding timetable had been disclosed, leaving the meetings focused on strategic coordination rather than announced transactions.