Nvidia and SK Group Announce Expanded AI and Semiconductor Partnership
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang completed a three-day visit to Seoul, announcing expanded AI and semiconductor partnerships with SK Group, SK Telecom, and Naver, while the company also disclosed plans to return at least 50% of free cash flow to shareholders. The deals include a gigawatt-scale AI cloud and factory project in South Korea by 2027 using Nvidia's DSX platform, and Nvidia's head of sustainability separately defended data centers against growing public skepticism. The announcements underscore Nvidia's dominant position in AI infrastructure as it pursues both global expansion and record financial returns.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's whirlwind visit to Seoul produced a series of significant agreements with South Korean companies, most notably with SK Telecom to build a gigawatt-scale AI cloud and AI factory by 2027 using Nvidia's DSX platform, which integrates high-performance GPU hardware with an optimized software stack. Huang also met with Naver founder Lee Hae-jin, describing Naver as a 'world-class AI company' and discussing potential cooperation in AI factories, robotics, and Nvidia's Nemotron Alliance. The back-to-back visits carry added significance as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is expected to visit Naver and other major Korean firms the following week, reflecting intense global competition for AI partnerships and data assets. On the financial front, Nvidia reported record Q1 fiscal 2027 revenue of $81.6 billion, up 85% year over year, driven by data center GPU demand, and announced plans to return 50% or more of free cash flow to shareholders — potentially totaling $110 billion over two years — alongside a 25-fold increase in its quarterly dividend. Meanwhile, Nvidia's head of sustainability, Josh Parker, pushed back against public concerns about data centers, arguing their impact on energy bills is smaller than perceived and that they create jobs and support grid upgrades, even as a Bloomberg analysis found electricity costs rose as much as 267% in some areas near major data center activity.
What's missing
The articles do not detail the specific financial terms or investment commitments attached to the South Korean partnership agreements, nor do they address how Nvidia's expanded international partnerships may interact with ongoing U.S. export control regulations on advanced AI chips.
How coverage differed
Semafor focused on the public relations and policy challenge Nvidia faces over data center skepticism, giving significant space to counterarguments such as the Bloomberg electricity cost data. The Motley Fool framed Nvidia's announcements primarily as a financial opportunity for investors, emphasizing shareholder returns and stock valuation. The South China Morning Post and UPI centered on the geopolitical and industrial significance of Nvidia's South Korean partnerships, while Yahoo Finance treated the SK Group deal as a straightforward business announcement.
What different sources said
- The Motley FoolCenter
Nvidia Just Announced a Potential Windfall for Shareholders
- SemaforCenter
Nvidia exec touts ‘significant’ data center benefits
- Yahoo FinanceCenter
Nvidia (NVDA), SK Group to Announce Expanded AI and Semiconductor Partnership
- South China Morning PostCenter
How Nvidia’s South Korean AI deals could fuel ‘the next industrial revolution’
- UPICenter
OpenAI’s Altman to visit Naver after Nvidia CEO’s trip
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