Samsung Electronics (SSNLF), a South Korean company expanding semiconductor production and AI infrastructure, and SK Hynix (HXSCL), a South Korean memory-chip producer, are preparing to announce major agreements involving very large sums with leading U.S. technology companies during President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Silicon Valley. Presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom said the announcements are expected to include new long-term memory-chip supply contracts, strategic investment partnerships and memorandums of understanding. Although Kim did not disclose the value of the agreements ahead of the companies' announcements, he indicated that the presidential visit helped bring long-running negotiations between Korean companies and their U.S. counterparts toward completion. The developments could provide investors with greater visibility into future AI-related memory demand and the role of South Korean chipmakers in supplying major U.S. technology groups.
Lee is set to begin his overseas trip in San Francisco on Friday, where he will attend an AI summit and hold separate meetings with NVIDIA NASDAQ:NVDA, a U.S. technology company led by Jensen Huang; OpenAI, an AI company led by Sam Altman; Anthropic, an AI company led by Dario Amodei; and Broadcom, a U.S. technology company led by Hock Tan. The summit is also expected to bring together Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor, a Korean motor company led by Executive Chair Euisun Chung, and Naver, a Korean company whose founder Lee Hae-jin will attend the event. The gathering appears positioned to connect South Korea's largest corporate groups with major U.S. AI companies as the country seeks to become a dependable supplier of AI infrastructure. Lee is also expected to present a San Francisco AI Declaration outlining South Korea's plan to expand AI adoption across its economy while strengthening its role in global AI infrastructure.
The visit follows Seoul's announcement last month of an investment plan worth at least $880 billion, backed by Samsung Electronics, SK Group and Naver, to expand chip manufacturing, develop AI data centers and strengthen South Korea's position in semiconductors and physical AI. More than half of the government's planned first-phase AI data-center capacity of roughly 8 gigawatts is expected to move toward concrete projects during the visit, with specific customers, locations and Korean engineering partners identified. Kim said U.S. technology companies account for 80% to 90% of the orders supporting the latest domestic expansion plans, suggesting that American demand may remain an important driver of South Korean semiconductor and AI-infrastructure investment. While U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently encouraged Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to expand memory-chip manufacturing in the United States, Kim said Washington had made no formal request for additional semiconductor investment.