[Young journalist Hojun Lee] The words “Saemangeum AI Valley” came directly from the mouth of Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA. The remark is being interpreted as suggesting that just as California is home to Silicon Valley, South Korea could develop an AI Valley centered around Saemangeum.

On the 8th, Huang visited Hyundai Motor Group’s headquarters in Yangjae, Seocho District, Seoul, where he met with Chung Euisun, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. After the meeting, the two spoke with reporters and revealed that they had discussed topics including autonomous driving, robotics, future manufacturing systems, and the Saemangeum AI Valley project.

The most eye-catching remark was about Saemangeum. Huang stated, “California has Silicon Valley,” and added, “Here, in Saemangeum, we are inventing AI Valley.” He went on to say, “AI will be a very important technology for this region,” explicitly mentioning Saemangeum by name. 

According to Hyundai Motor Group, this was the first time Jensen Huang had used the term “Saemangeum AI Valley” while referencing Silicon Valley in the United States.

Huang explained that Executive Chair Chung Euisun had proposed building NVIDIA-related infrastructure in Saemangeum. He added, “I told him I would be happy to help build NVIDIA in Saemangeum.” The remark is considered significant because it positioned Saemangeum as a potential hub for AI infrastructure and robotics collaboration.

Chairman Chung also elaborated on the Saemangeum vision himself. He stated, “We are already making substantial investments in Saemangeum, and more investment will continue in the future.” He added, “I explained the Saemangeum project, which incorporates AI and robotics.”

Chung went on to say, “We had extensive discussions about creating more advanced AI systems, robotics technologies, and data centers.”

Huang said, “We discussed how to expand mobility and autonomous mobility, and how to make transportation safer.” Robotics was also a major topic of discussion. He added, “We talked about how we can collaborate more deeply to accelerate robotics for real-world industrial applications.”

He noted that while robotics is still in the stages of basic and applied research, commercialization is rapidly approaching. The two sides also discussed ways to apply Hyundai Motor Group’s robotics platforms more broadly and integrate them more deeply into manufacturing operations.

Huang continued, “We talked about how AI can be used in mobility and robotics, but we also discussed the factories themselves—how AI can be integrated into future manufacturing systems.” In other words, the discussion went beyond simply embedding AI in vehicles; it extended to transforming the factories that build vehicles and robots through AI-driven technologies.

He also emphasized the need for South Korea to expand its AI infrastructure. “South Korea is now one of the world's leading countries in AI,” Huang said. However, he added that “Korea’s current AI infrastructure is still very small, even for supporting AI researchers, university researchers, startups, and major corporations such as Hyundai Motor Group.” He concluded, “Korea will need large-scale AI factories.”

The “AI factories” Huang referred to are closely tied to data centers. He explained, “Just as cars are produced in factories, AI must also be produced in factories. Humans need cloud data centers, and robots need AI factories.”

The relationship between the two companies also appears to be growing both broader and deeper. Huang remarked, “Chairman Chung and I are very good friends and dear friends. Our two companies have been building an increasingly strong partnership over the years.” He continued, “This collaboration began with autonomous vehicles, and our mobility partnership is expanding. Today it's autonomous vehicles; tomorrow it will be robotaxis and every kind of autonomous mobility.”

Chairman Chung likewise described NVIDIA as “an indispensable and critically important partner.” He stated, “If we want to find ways to help people more effectively, NVIDIA is ultimately indispensable. We already have many projects underway together, and we intend to strengthen those efforts even further.”

▶원문 기사: 현대차·엔비디아, ‘새만금 AI 밸리’ 띄운다 (이코노미스트, 2026. 6. 8)
 

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