Samsung, SK Group seal US$950 billion deals with US AI firms to lock in South Korean chip supply

South Korea and leading U.S. artificial intelligence firms have forged significant partnerships, announcing a staggering US$950 billion in new AI initiatives. These deals aim to bolster South Korea's chip supply chain amidst a global rush for advanced semiconductors needed to power increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

SK Group emerged as a major player, securing deals valued at US$750 billion. A cornerstone of this is SK Hynix's partnership with Nvidia, reportedly worth over US$500 billion. This collaboration focuses on next-generation memory supply and the joint development of high-bandwidth memory crucial for AI training and applications. SK Telecom also plans to build a 2-gigawatt data center powered by advanced chips, expected online in 2027.

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I'd like to present a vision for the future of AI and propose global cooperation to make it happen.

Samsung Electronics is also a key participant, having signed a memorandum of understanding with Broadcom. This agreement covers up to US$200 billion across memory chips, foundry services, and advanced packaging solutions. Samsung will collaborate with Broadcom on developing next-generation AI accelerators utilizing Samsung's high-bandwidth memory technology and its sub-2-nanometer foundry process.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, speaking at an AI summit in San Francisco, declared his nation's intention to lead a new era of AI through global technological cooperation. He unveiled the "San Francisco AI Declaration," outlining ambitions for collaborative efforts with the United States. The summit saw attendance from top executives including Nvidia's Jensen Huang, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, and Broadcom's Hock Tan, alongside South Korean industry leaders like Samsung Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.

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AI customers were seeking far more memory than previously anticipated.