NVIDIA and South Korea Unveil Landmark AI Infrastructure Expansion with Over 260,000 GPUs

Historic Collaboration Announced at APEC Summit

Gyeongju, South Korea – NVIDIA, a global leader in accelerated computing, has announced a sweeping collaboration with the South Korean government and several of the nation's industrial titans to dramatically expand the country's artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The landmark initiative, unveiled on October 31, 2025, during the APEC Summit, involves the deployment of over 260,000 NVIDIA GPUs across sovereign clouds and AI factories. This strategic partnership is set to position South Korea as a major hub for AI computing outside the United States.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the significance of the collaboration, stating, 'Korea's leadership in technology and manufacturing positions it at the heart of the AI industrial revolution — where accelerated computing infrastructure becomes as vital as power grids and broadband.' He further added, 'It's vital that we build the ecosystem, not just the AI infrastructure, of Korea.' The South Korean government, through the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), is a key investor in this sovereign AI infrastructure.

Strategic GPU Deployment Across Key Sectors

The extensive deployment of NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs will be distributed among various entities to bolster AI capabilities across diverse sectors. The Ministry of Science and ICT is set to receive 50,000 GPUs to establish a national AI computing center and advance sovereign AI development. This will provide universities, research institutions, and startups with crucial access to advanced AI infrastructure.

Major industrial conglomerates are also making substantial commitments:

• Samsung Electronics will build an AI factory with over 50,000 GPUs to accelerate its AI, semiconductor, and digital transformation roadmap, integrating AI into manufacturing processes.
• SK Group is establishing an AI factory featuring over 50,000 NVIDIA GPUs, alongside Asia's first industrial AI cloud, focusing on semiconductor research, development, and physical AI workloads.
• Hyundai Motor Group is collaborating with NVIDIA and the Korean government to build an NVIDIA AI factory with 50,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs. This will enable integrated AI model training, validation, and deployment for manufacturing and autonomous driving. Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA will also jointly invest approximately $3 billion to advance Korea's physical AI landscape.
• NAVER Cloud is expanding its NVIDIA AI infrastructure with over 60,000 GPUs for enterprise and physical AI workloads.

Fostering an AI Ecosystem and Future Innovation

This initiative extends beyond hardware deployment to cultivate a comprehensive AI ecosystem within South Korea. The collaboration aims to fuel 'Korea innovation, industries and jobs' by accelerating AI development in critical industries such as automotive, manufacturing, semiconductors, and telecommunications.

The partnership will also see the establishment of key AI institutions, including the NVIDIA AI Technology Center and Hyundai's Physical AI Application Center. Furthermore, NVIDIA is working with Korean firms on developing Korean foundation Large Language Models (LLMs) and advancing quantum computing research through institutions like the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI). Efforts are also underway to support the startup community through initiatives like the Korea Physical AI Startup Alliance, fostering innovation in robotics, drones, and humanoid technologies.