South Korea's Lee meets Jensen Huang, Sam Altman in San Francisco AI push
Synopsis
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung spent his first day in San Francisco personally lobbying the CEOs of Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Broadcom to invest in South Korea's AI and semiconductor ambitions. The most tangible result: Anthropic and Seoul's science ministry will sign an MoU on AI security — a signal that Lee's tech diplomacy is already producing commitments.
Key Takeaways
President Lee Jae Myung met the CEOs of Nvidia , OpenAI , Anthropic , and Broadcom in San Francisco on 25 July .
Jensen Huang called South Korea's AI outlook a 'golden era' and was urged to join Seoul's semiconductor cluster and data centre plans.
Sam Altman described South Korea as 'one of the world's most important countries in AI development.' Anthropic and South Korea's science ministry will sign an MoU on AI security and the cyber industry .
Lee's two-day San Francisco visit aims to secure greater foreign tech participation in South Korea's AI investment drive.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on 25 July met separately with the chief executives of Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Broadcom in San Francisco, urging each to deepen their involvement in South Korea's sweeping artificial intelligence investment drive. The meetings marked the first day of Lee's two-day visit to the city, focused on building AI cooperation between global technology leaders and Seoul.
Lee and Huang: Semiconductors at the Centre
In his meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, President Lee praised the chip titan as standing at the forefront of a 'fundamental shift' reshaping the global economy. Lee outlined South Korea's recently announced plans to construct a large-scale semiconductor production cluster and a network of AI data centres, calling on Huang to play a greater role in the investment drive.
Huang, in turn, underscored what he described as South Koreans' enthusiasm for AI and said the country has entered a 'golden era' under Lee's leadership. The exchange reflects South Korea's strategic positioning: surging global semiconductor demand, driven by the AI boom, has already helped push the country into the ranks of the world's leading chip supply hubs.
OpenAI and Anthropic Meetings: Pledges and an MoU
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described South Korea as 'one of the world's most important countries in AI development' during his separate session with Lee. The president reiterated his government's goal of restructuring the country's industrial base around AI — and, notably, mentioned that he personally uses OpenAI's ChatGPT.
In his meeting with Anthropic PBC CEO Dario Amodei, Lee said: 'As South Korea plans to significantly expand investment in the AI sector, I hope for Anthropic's special attention, investment and contributions.' Amodei welcomed the outreach and confirmed that Anthropic and South Korea's science ministry will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in AI security and the cyber industry. He added that Anthropic places its highest priority on collaboration with other companies and expressed interest in working with South Korea across areas including data centres.
Broadcom Joins the Roster
President Lee also met Broadcom Inc. CEO Hock Tan, again appealing for corporate support in establishing a robust AI ecosystem in South Korea. No specific commitments from Broadcom were reported from the meeting.
The Bigger Picture
The San Francisco blitz is part of a broader South Korean effort to position the country as a leading destination for AI capital and talent. Lee has pledged to make South Korea a global leader in real-world AI applications — a goal that requires both the advanced chips Nvidia supplies and the foundational models OpenAI and Anthropic develop. This comes amid intensifying competition among Asian economies, including Japan and India, to attract AI infrastructure investment. The Anthropic MoU is the most concrete outcome so far; further announcements are expected before Lee's visit concludes.
Point of View
Not protocol. But the gap between warm words and binding commitments is wide: only the Anthropic MoU is a concrete deliverable, and MoUs are notoriously easy to sign and slow to execute. South Korea's semiconductor edge gives it genuine leverage with Nvidia, whose supply-chain dependence on Korean memory makers is well documented. The harder question is whether Lee can convert that structural advantage into equity investment and R&D anchoring, rather than just purchase agreements dressed up as partnerships.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visit San Francisco?
President Lee travelled to San Francisco on a two-day trip to promote South Korea's AI investment plans and seek greater participation from leading global technology companies. He met the CEOs of Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Broadcom on the first day alone.
What did Lee discuss with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang?
Lee outlined South Korea's plans to build a semiconductor production cluster and AI data centres, and asked Huang to play a greater role in the country's investment drive. Huang praised South Koreans' enthusiasm for AI and called the current moment a 'golden era' for the country.
What is the Anthropic MoU with South Korea about?
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei confirmed that his company and South Korea's science ministry will sign a memorandum of understanding covering cooperation in AI security and the cyber industry. Amodei also expressed interest in broader collaboration, including on data centres.
What did OpenAI's Sam Altman say about South Korea?
Altman described South Korea as 'one of the world's most important countries in AI development' during his meeting with President Lee. Lee, in turn, stressed his government's goal of restructuring South Korea's industrial base around AI.
What outcomes came from the Broadcom meeting?
President Lee met Broadcom CEO Hock Tan and called for the company's support in building South Korea's AI ecosystem. No specific commitments from Broadcom were reported from the meeting.
