Nvidia extends partnership with Korean gaming giants
CEO Jensen Huang holds symbolic meetings at Korea's internet cafes
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, right, poses with Krafton Chairman Chang Byung-gyu in front of an internet cafe in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has deepened ties with Korea’s leading game developers, holding a series of high-profile meetings with top executives from NC and Krafton, as the U.S. chipmaker seeks to expand collaboration with gamers to develop more sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and next-generation robotics systems.
Huang’s back-to-back meetings with Krafton Chairman Chang Byung-gyu and NC CEO Kim Taek-jin in Seoul underscore Nvidia’s growing view of the gaming industry as a strategic partner in the development of physical AI, a field the company sees as central to the future of humanoid robots and autonomous systems.
Huang met with Chang at an internet cafe in Seoul, accompanied by Krafton Chief AI Officer Lee Kang-wook and Jang Tae-seok, head of PUBG: Battlegrounds. The Nvidia chief later held separate talks with Kim at another internet cafe in the same city.
The choice of location is notable. Rather than meeting in corporate headquarters, Huang opted for Korea’s many internet cafes, known locally as "PC bang," highlighting the close relationship between Nvidia and the country’s gaming industry and reflecting the industry’s cultural significance in Korea.
The meetings focused on a broad range of future technologies, including physical AI, humanoid robots and gaming applications built on Nvidia’s RTX Spark AI PC platform.
Madison Huang, center, senior director of product marketing at Nvidia, accompanies Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to a meeting with Krafton Chairman Chang Byung-gyu in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
For Nvidia, game developers are increasingly important partners in training AI systems.
The vast amounts of data generated by sophisticated virtual characters and simulated environments are viewed as valuable resources for developing AI models capable of understanding and interacting with the physical world.
Korean game companies are emerging as key long-term collaborators in Nvidia’s broader AI strategy. Krafton has maintained a longstanding partnership with Nvidia. The company recently introduced “PUBG Ally,” an AI-powered companion system for PUBG: Battlegrounds, and incorporated “Smart Zoi” technology into its life-simulation title inZOI, enabling non-player characters to make autonomous decisions and exhibit more natural behaviors.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, right, speaks during a surprise live event with NC CEO Kim Taek-jin for NC's Aion 2 game at an internet cafe in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
Cooperation between the two companies extends beyond gaming. In April last year, Krafton executives visited Nvidia’s headquarters in California, where they held discussions with Huang on robotics and next-generation technologies.
Earlier this year, Krafton established Ludo Robotics, a dedicated physical AI venture. Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han was appointed chief executive of the U.S. entity, while Lee was named head of the Korean operation.
In the meeting with the NC founder, Huang discussed collaboration in gaming and AI. The two executives also participated in a user event and livestream for NC’s upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Aion 2.
The title incorporates Nvidia’s latest graphics technologies, including DLSS Frame Generation and Nvidia Reflex, designed to enhance visual performance and responsiveness.
Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, third from right, leaves a local Pyongyang-style cold noodle restaurant after a lunch meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, fourth from right, in Seoul, Sunday. . Yonhap
Ahead of his meetings with the gaming executives, Huang had lunch with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun at a popular Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurant in Seoul.
The Nvidia chief is scheduled to visit the carmaker's headquarters on Monday to dicuss a comprehensive physical AI partnership with Chung.