[News] NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang to Join APEC in Oct., Raising Hopes for US–Korea Chip Push

According to Chosun Daily, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, Korea this October. Citing sources, the report says his participation has raised expectations for deeper U.S.–Korea semiconductor cooperation and underscores NVIDIA’s intent to strengthen ties with South Korean partners, including SK hynix and Samsung Electronics.

APEC’s agenda will feature sessions on “AI for economic development,” where Huang is expected to play a central role. The Chosun Daily adds that Seoul is also in talks to bring in other global tech leaders, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Apple’s Tim Cook.

Meanwhile, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won is reported to have invited Huang to the APEC CEO summit. Industry sources suggest that after the event, the NVIDIA chief may tour SK hynix’s facilities in Icheon and Cheongju, or visit Samsung’s semiconductor plant in Cheonan.

Huang’s presence at APEC could overlap with a potential summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, opening the door to discussions on AI regulation and supply chain security amid heightened tensions over export controls.

Notably, Huang’s visit comes amid tighter U.S. export controls on South Korean chipmakers. According to Bloomberg, the Trump administration has revised the validated end user (VEU) rules to make it more difficult for Samsung and SK hynix to send critical equipment to their Chinese operations.

This decision followed closely after President Trump’s meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House. During their discussions, the two leaders addressed a trade agreement that set tariffs on South Korean goods at 15%, avoiding the 25% Trump had previously threatened, Bloomberg reported.

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(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Korea)