“SK하이닉스가 ‘치맥 회동’에 불참한 이유

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251031VL215/nvidia-jensen-huang-sk-hynix-hbm.html

Why SK Hynix skipped the fried chicken and beer summit

 

Why SK Hynix skipped the fried chicken and beer summit

 

“SK하이닉스가 ‘치맥 회동’에 불참한 이유"

 

 

When Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang arrived in South Korea, global attention turned to a viral "chimaek" (fried chicken and beer) dinner on October 30 featuring Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun. Yet, the spotlight shifted the following day to SK Group—and particularly its memory arm, SK Hynix, which co-headlined a landmark AI infrastructure deal that analysts have called a strategic win.

The question hanging over the spontaneous Gangnam gathering was straightforward: why was SK Hynix, Nvidia's largest supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI chips, conspicuously absent?

Strategic sequencing: why SK missed the photo op

The absence of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won from the headline-grabbing chimaek summit was less a diplomatic slight than a matter of logistics and timing.

Sources familiar with the matter said the dinner was never meant to be a formal "Korea Inc." meeting. Huang himself described it as simply wanting to "eat chimaek with friends," not hold a press conference, and the informal venue could accommodate only a small circle.

Moreover, Chairman Chey was in final preparations for the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, some 250 kilometers away, on the same evening of October 30. Travel constraints made attendance impractical. SK Group later confirmed that Chey had prioritized summit obligations and already had a separate, formal meeting with Huang scheduled for October 31.

In the end, while Samsung and Hyundai enjoyed what many in Korea dubbed "cultural theater"—a photo-friendly display of camaraderie—SK hynix secured the real substance. As one online comment succinctly put it, "SK hynix is in the GPU, not the photo. They're fine."

The next day's focus: HBM and the 50,000-GPU AI factory

While others were sharing chicken, SK hynix was securing its role at the heart of Korea's AI future. At the APEC Summit on October 31, Nvidia announced an expanded partnership with SK Group to build an AI factory dedicated to semiconductor research, development, and production.

The facility will deploy more than 50,000 Nvidia GPUs and is expected to become one of Korea's largest AI factories when completed in late 2027.

At its core, the collaboration cements SK Hynix's position in the advanced AI platform supply chain:

HBM advancements: Joint efforts will focus on developing next-generation SK Hynix high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other advanced memory solutions for Nvidia GPUs.

AI-driven chip design: Using Nvidia's CUDA-X technologies and the PhysicsNeMo framework, SK Hynix will apply AI-based physics simulation to accelerate chip design and verification, enabling faster, more precise product development.

Digital transformation: The AI factory will support SK subsidiaries such as SK Hynix and SK Telecom. SK Hynix is building autonomous fab digital twins via Nvidia's Omniverse platform to simulate and optimize operations in real time, advancing toward self-optimizing manufacturing.

Workforce productivity: AI-powered agents built with Nvidia NIM microservices will help enhance productivity across SK Hynix's 40,000-plus employees, from R&D engineers to fab operators.

Huang called SK Group a "vital memory technology partner," enabling the creation of the world's most advanced GPU computing platforms.

Chairman Chey underscored the shared vision, saying the Nvidia AI factory will form the foundation to "build the infrastructure that powers the next generation of memory, robotics, digital twins, and intelligent AI agents."

Article edited by Jack Wu

 

https://www.mk.co.kr/news/business/11456936

‘깐부 모임’ 못 간 최태원 회장, 젠슨 황에 HBM 깜짝 선물 - 매일경제

 

“최태원 회장이 어제 너무 바빴다. 이해한다”

30일 젠슨 황 엔비디아 CEO와 이재용 삼성전자 회장, 정의선 현대차그룹 회장과의 ‘깐부치킨’모임에 참석하지 못한 최태원 SK그룹 회장이 출국 전 젠슨황 회장을 만나 감사와 함께 HBM을 선물로 전했다.

31일 최태원 회장은 이날 APEC CEO 서밋 2025의 주빈으로 런홍빈 중국 CCIPT 회장에게 내년 깃발을 전달한 후 곧장 젠슨 황 CEO도 만남을 가졌다. 최 회장은 당초 전일 황 CEO와 이재용, 정의선 회장과의 ‘깐부치킨’ 모임에 초청했으나 주빈으로 경주를 지켜야해서 여기에 참석하지 못했다. 이 자리에는 SK하이닉스 곽노정 대표이사와 김주선 사장도 동석했다. 최 회장은 황 CEO를 위해 준비한 HBM웨이퍼와 기념패를 건냈다. 황 CEO도 이 회장과 정 회장에게 증정했던 DGX 스파크 컴퓨터와 하쿠슈 사케를 증정했다. 당초 최태원 회장 몫으로 준비한 것을 직접 전달한 것이다.

이 자리에서 황 CEO는 HBM을 선물로 받으면서 “웨이퍼가 너무 비싸고 무겁다”면서 농담을 하기도 했다. SK하이닉스는 현재 엔비디아에 고부가가치 제품인 HBM을 가장 많이 공급하는 회사다.