Nvidia clinches deals with South Korean giants include SK Group to advance AI boom
Nvidia said it signed multiple deals in South Korea with SK Group affiliates SK Hynix and SK Telecom, plus Naver and Doosan, to support AI data centers and related technologies. SK Group said SK Hynix agreed a multi-year technology partnership to develop advanced memory for global AI data centers and that SK Telecom will build a gigawatt-scale AI cloud, with the first center in 2027. Deal values were not disclosed.
Strengthens Nvidia’s AI supply chain and expands customer buildouts (AI cloud/data centers), supporting demand visibility.
Nvidia announced multi-party South Korea deals, including a multi-year SK Hynix technology partnership to secure memory supply for AI data centers.
Near-term supportive for sentiment; magnitude depends on whether counterparties translate into incremental GPU/AI system orders.
Background
Nvidia is on a high-profile South Korea trip and is securing memory and cloud partners as AI data-center demand strains chip supply.
Why it matters
The disclosed multi-year SK Hynix partnership and additional Nvidia purchases by SK Hynix/SK Telecom provide concrete supply/demand linkages for Nvidia’s AI platform, with a 2027 data-center milestone.
Market relevance
New partnership commitments with major South Korean AI infrastructure players can shift expectations for Nvidia’s AI system supply chain and customer buildout cadence.
Market effects
Reinforces the AI data-center build cycle and highlights memory supply constraints as a gating factor for AI system scaling.
South Korea AI/semiconductor complex gets a fresh read-through via SK Hynix/SK Telecom commitments, even as the local market is pressured by global tech selloff.
Supports the broader AI capex narrative (GPUs + memory + cloud buildouts) and may influence near-term memory pricing expectations via demand durability.
Alternative perspectives
Because deal values and actual GPU/memory order quantities aren’t disclosed, the market may treat this as relationship-building rather than immediate revenue acceleration.
Memory supply constraints could still cap system shipments; also, the article notes a broader tech rout tied to US rates, which may overwhelm deal-driven optimism near term.
Key entities
- companyNvidia
Announced multi-party South Korea deals, including a multi-year SK Hynix technology partnership and AI cloud/data-center buildouts using Nvidia technology.
- companySK Hynix
Signed a multi-year technology partnership with Nvidia to develop advanced memory for global AI data centers; expects to remain Nvidia’s largest memory partner.
- companySK Telecom
Plans a gigawatt-scale AI cloud in South Korea using Nvidia technology; first AI data center targeted for 2027.
- companyNaver
Will use Nvidia technology to help build AI data centers (deal value undisclosed).
- companyDoosan Group
Said its energy solution is expected to be used in Nvidia data center platforms and it will use Nvidia’s physical AI technology.
