[News] Huawei Reportedly Plans 2026 Ascend 950 Sales in South Korea, Targeting Cluster-Level Deployments

As Huawei steps up its AI ambitions, South Korea is emerging as an unexpected focal market, with the company reportedly preparing to bring its AI chips to Korean customers. According to Yonhap News, Valian Wang, CEO of Huawei Korea, said at a press briefing on the 26th during Huawei Day 2025 that the company plans to officially roll out AI computing cards and AI data-center solutions in South Korea in 2026.

The product slated for launch is expected to be Huawei’s latest AI accelerator, the Ascend 950. As the report notes, the company aims to position the product as an alternative to NVIDIA for Korean customers.

Huawei Plans to Push Cluster-Based AI Strategy in South Korea

Unlike NVIDIA, Huawei does not plan to market its AI chips as standalone products, instead focusing on cluster-level deployments, the report notes. Wang explained that Huawei’s strategy goes beyond selling individual AI cards or servers, aiming to enhance competitiveness by delivering end-to-end (E2E) solutions that integrate infrastructure hardware, such as networking and storage, with software, as the report highlights.

Under this approach, Huawei may not need to rely on third-party partners for either supply or sales, as it is pursuing a strategy of direct integration and service delivery, Wang said. The report adds that Huawei Korea is currently in talks with several companies over potential supply arrangements.

Huawei also plans to supply its self-developed, open-source operating system, Harmony, to South Korean companies next year as part of its efforts to build a broader ecosystem, the report indicates. Meanwhile, the company has no plans to introduce smartphones in South Korea in 2026, the report adds.

Huawei Reportedly Builds Export-Ready AI Chips With In-House HBM

Huawei’s overseas AI chip ambitions are being bolstered by its progress in internalizing key components. According to Edaily, Huawei has reportedly brought HBM in-house in response to U.S. export restrictions, enabling a more stable supply without relying on external vendors such as Samsung Electronics or SK hynix. The report adds, citing sources, that at Huawei Connect 2025 the company said its Ascend 950 series will be equipped with Huawei’s proprietary HBM solutions—“HiBL 1.0” for inference and “HiZQ 2.0” for training.

Huawei’s Ascend AI Chips Set for Global Expansion

Beyond South Korea, Edaily notes that Huawei has emphasized plans to market its Ascend AI chips not only in Korea but also globally. The company also disclosed plans to launch the chips in Malaysia next year. According to MTN, citing sources, its overseas expansion plan is significant, as it indicates that Huawei—previously focused largely on the domestic market—has now secured sufficient volumes to support exports abroad.

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(Photo credit: Huawei)