Chey Toasts Huang Over AI Partnership

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won reaffirmed his strong cooperative relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, a key partner in the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor industry. On September 28, Chey attended the '2026 Annual Gala' of the Korea Society in New York and personally proposed a toast to Huang, who received the 'Van Fleet Award' for enhancing Korea-US relations.

Chey defined the Nvidia-SK partnership as a "combination of brains and memory," explaining that Nvidia designs the brains while SK manufactures the memory, ensuring memories are never forgotten. Huang often asks Chey, "Can you not make it faster?" during their meetings, reflecting their shared "hurry-hurry" spirit. Chey emphasized the evolving nature of the Korea-US alliance, comparing it to a leader wearing a black leather jacket rather than military uniform, leading advancements in the data center sector driven by Huang.

He also noted Jensen's management philosophy, "The more you buy, the more you save," or "Jensen's Law," which inspires everyone to think grander. Attendees viewed this meeting as confirming the elevated status of Korean companies within the AI semiconductor supply chain, beyond a simple celebration. Chey concluded by expressing hope for faster partnership expansion than the demand for graphics processing units (GPUs).