Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Lee Jae-yong, Executive Chairman of Samsung Electronics, attend NVIDIA's GeForce graphics card (GPU) 25th anniversary event held at COEX in Seoul on the 30th. Yonhap News.

"Thanks to a letter I received from JY's father in 1996, I came to Korea."

Around 9:36 PM on the 30th, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang took the stage at the NVIDIA GeForce Gamer Festival held at K-POP Square at COEX in Seoul and recalled memories with the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics [005930] and Chairman Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Group, who had a "Kkanbu meeting" with CEO Huang at Kkanbu Chicken in Samseong-dong on this day, also appeared side by side on the K-POP Square stage.

After finishing their Kkanbu meeting, which lasted over an hour from 7:30 PM, they showed a friendly atmosphere, high-fiving multiple times and arm-in-arming from the moment they appeared on stage.

In between his speech, CEO Huang also showed his "AI Kkanbu" side by hugging Chairman Lee and Chairman Chung.

CEO Huang introduced Chairman Lee and Chairman Chung as "best friends," and Chairman Lee reciprocated by calling CEO Huang "the greatest inventor and the greatest businessman," creating a friendly atmosphere.

On this day, CEO Huang introduced a letter he received from the late Chairman Lee in 1996.

CEO Huang said, "In 1996, I received a letter from Korea for the first time in my life. It was a beautifully written letter from someone I didn't know."

He explained, "The letter had three visions: to connect Korea with high-speed internet, to change the world with video games, and to hold video game Olympics. It asked for my support to make this happen. Because of that letter, I came to Korea."

When CEO Huang introduced such a letter, Chairman Lee mentioned, "My father sent that letter."

Chairman Lee emphasized, "25 years ago, NVIDIA launched the GeForce 256 using Samsung Electronics' GDDR (Graphics Double Data Rate). That's when our companies' cooperation began, and my friendship with Jensen started."

He praised CEO Huang, saying, "Jensen is truly charming as a person. He is a friend with dreams, guts, warmth, and great affection."

Chairman Chung Eui-sun, who also appeared on stage, emphasized his connection with NVIDIA, stating that he has enjoyed games since childhood.

Chairman Chung said, "I've been playing arcade games since I was young, and my child loves League of Legends, which of course uses NVIDIA GPUs. We are not far from the gaming industry and actively sponsoring it."

At the festival, Chairman Lee and Chairman Chung appeared to be translating each other's remarks to CEO Huang.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Lee Jae-yong, Executive Chairman of Samsung Electronics, attend NVIDIA's GeForce graphics card (GPU) 25th anniversary event held at COEX in Seoul on the 30th. Yonhap News. 

CEO Huang, wearing his trademark leather jacket, arrived at COEX around 8:57 PM and greeted GeForce attendees by waving from the festival booth.

CEO Huang said, "I came to Korea to attend APEC this week. I was invited by President Lee Jae-myung, and there is good news, but I can't reveal it yet, but I'll give you a hint."

CEO Huang added, "It will be related to robotics, and it will be 100% absolutely related to Korea."

He emphasized, "All of this depends on the hands of these two gentlemen (US-China negotiations), and we will do our best to achieve the best deal for both countries."

On the 28th (local time), CEO Huang stated at a developer event in Washington D.C. that "there will be something that the Korean people and U.S. President Donald Trump will be very pleased about."

CEO Huang added, "I am honored to have reached a market capitalization of 5 trillion dollars. AI is the most influential technology in human history and will impact all scientific fields, and NVIDIA can become much larger than it is now."

About 500 pre-registered attendees gathered at the festival to see CEO Huang.

As CEO Huang appeared, the audience repeatedly chanted "Jensen Huang."

In response, CEO Huang expressed his gratitude, saying, "Without the PC bang culture and e-sports popularity of Korea, NVIDIA would not be where it is today."

The atmosphere at the venue was greatly heightened as the audience cheered and waved fluorescent green glow sticks, NVIDIA's brand color, following the surprise appearance of Chairman Lee and Chairman Chung.

At the end of the event, CEO Huang, Chairman Lee, and Chairman Chung even participated in an event by directly detonating gun-shaped fireworks for the audience prize draw.

It is reported that this was the first time Chairman Lee spoke to the general public, excluding press conferences.

Chairman Lee jokingly asked the audience, "Why are there so many iPhones here?"

After arriving at Incheon International Airport at 3 PM today, completed the Kkanbu meeting and festival attendance, CEO Huang is scheduled to travel to Gyeongju to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

NVIDIA is scheduled to announce new contracts on the 31st to supply AI semiconductors to major South Korean companies including Samsung Electronics, SK, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver.

Yonhap News