[Gyeongju APEC] Anticipation for 'New Industrial Cooperation'... Corporate Diplomacy Begins

Another Key Focus of APEC: Corporate Diplomacy
Will Heavyweight Jensen Huang Announce New Collaboration Plans?
"Need to Lead on Core Agendas: AI, Energy, and Supply Chains"
Global Heavyweights Gather: Expectations Rise for Concrete Cooperat

With the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and CEO Summit as the backdrop, there is growing anticipation for the visit of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who will be coming to Korea for the first time in 15 years. From October 30, he will have a packed schedule over two days, meeting in succession with the heads of major conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai Motor, and SK, where he is expected to discuss new avenues for cooperation.

As artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be the central theme throughout this CEO Summit, there is increasing speculation that new collaborative initiatives for restructuring the AI supply chain in Korea may be proposed, with Huang at the center. As 'corporate diplomacy' focusing on AI, energy, and supply chains takes center stage, attention is focused on whether this will lead to tangible outcomes in technology and investment.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are talking with Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, at the Korea-US Business Roundtable Reception held this August at the Willard Hotel in Washington DC. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to industry sources on the 28th, the APEC CEO Summit officially begins with a welcome dinner on this day. Unlike traditional summit diplomacy, a different kind of 'industrial diplomacy' is expected to unfold. Companies are likely to seek cooperation centered on next-generation technology and supply chain stabilization. The three main agenda items are AI, energy, and supply chains.

On October 30, CEO Huang will arrive in Korea and follow a tight schedule for two days. On the day of his arrival, he is expected to attend the 25th anniversary event for GeForce at COEX in Seoul, followed by a dinner meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun. The following day in Gyeongju, he will participate in a special session at the CEO Summit and hold a press conference.

Since Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to Nvidia, there is speculation that Huang may also meet with Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of SK Group, in addition to Jay Y. Lee. There is keen interest in whether a new semiconductor 'big deal' will emerge with Korean companies already participating in the Nvidia ecosystem.

A multimedia show commemorating the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit is being held on the afternoon of the 27th at the waterside performance venue of Bomun Lake in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

On the last day of the CEO Summit, October 31, CEO Huang will present his vision for next-generation technologies such as AI, robotics, and autonomous driving in a special session. As he is also holding a separate press conference, there is particular interest in whether he will elaborate on cooperation plans with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. A semiconductor industry official commented, "With CEO Huang visiting Korea in person, if he announces new collaboration plans within the Nvidia ecosystem, it will be a great opportunity."

The key issue is how deeply Korean companies will be integrated into the AI semiconductor supply chain led by Nvidia through these meetings between top executives. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are hoping to solidify cooperation on next-generation HBM4, while Hyundai Motor Group is looking forward to jointly developing a high-performance computing (HPC) platform for autonomous driving. For Korea, this presents an opportunity to further strengthen its technological alliance in the semiconductor and AI industries and secure a leading position in the global supply chain.

AI Spanning All Industries: Expectations for New Collaboration Announcements

The keyword running through the beginning and end of this CEO Summit is AI. The discussions are expected to go beyond simply identifying technology trends, covering a wide range of issues including regulations, ethics, and the investment environment.

On the first day, October 29, Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman is scheduled to emphasize "tax incentives and regulatory easing for AI data center investment." Choi Sooyoun, CEO of Naver, will also participate. AWS, the world's largest cloud company, is building a data center in Ulsan. Naver, while a competitor, also shares common interests. There is a high likelihood that 'policy coordination' regarding government regulation for expanding AI infrastructure will be concretely discussed.

Strategic sharing between global big tech companies such as Microsoft and Google and Korean companies is also drawing attention. Anthony Cook, Vice President of Microsoft, will emphasize "public-private cooperation for the responsible spread of AI," while Simon Kahn, Vice President of Google Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Lee Honglak, Director of LG AI Research, are set to present a "next-generation AI roadmap for sustainable innovation." Collaboration on AI ethics, data security, and cloud infrastructure is highly anticipated.

Energy and Supply Chain Issues: Possibility of Global Investment Discussions

Discussions on 'energy' technologies to support AI infrastructure will also become more prominent. Along with trends in liquefied natural gas (LNG), nuclear, and hydrogen technologies, each country's carbon neutrality plans will be addressed. Jang Jaehun, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor, will lead discussions on hydrogen mobility technology, while Choo Hyungwook, CEO of SK Innovation, will focus on LNG cooperation strategies for the Asia-Pacific region. Park Youngchun, CEO of Hanwha Qcells, and Uli Homann, Vice President of Microsoft, will announce eco-friendly energy strategies.

Discussions on the increasingly uncertain 'supply chain' will also be a key point. Jang Inhwa, Chairman of POSCO, will present his vision for "building a resilient and eco-friendly global supply chain." Following his presentation, Gary Korte, CEO of Hancock, and Omoto Masayuki, CEO of Marubeni, are expected to share their perspectives as panelists. Hancock, an Australian steel company, and Marubeni, a Japanese trading company, have long-standing partnerships with POSCO Group. This session is expected to be an opportunity for the three companies to further solidify their existing partnerships and publicly share their future supply chain strategies.

Additionally, with the participation of international financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and World Bank (WB), which operate as multilateral financial organizations, there are expectations that discussions on industrial and infrastructure investment will expand. As the chair country of APEC, Korea can send a message that it possesses Asia-Pacific leadership not only in industrial forums but also across development finance and infrastructure. A government official commented, "If our companies use this opportunity to seek joint projects with these institutions, it will be advantageous for Korea to secure governance leadership."