Nvidia up 2% after multiyear AI deals in South Korea

Nvidia shares rose about 2% on Monday after the company announced multiyear artificial intelligence partnerships in South Korea with SK hynix, SK Telecom, NAVER and LG. The gain came during a technology-led session in which the Nasdaq advanced 2.06% and the S&P 500 rose 0.68%.

The agreements were unveiled during CEO Jensen Huang’s visit to Seoul over the weekend and into Monday. They tie Nvidia’s AI software, simulation tools and DSX platform to local firms’ plans to expand computing and memory capacity for advanced AI workloads.

Under a deal with SK hynix, the companies will develop next-generation memory technologies intended for AI factories. Nvidia’s design and simulation tools will be used to improve semiconductor design and manufacturing processes, and the partners will conduct joint research on AI factory architectures.

Nvidia and SK Telecom plan to build a gigawatt-scale AI cloud in South Korea using Nvidia’s DSX platform. The first AI factory is expected to be operational in 2027. The infrastructure is intended to support sovereign AI, enterprise AI, physical AI and agentic AI applications across the country.

NAVER said it will scale its AI infrastructure from an initial 55 megawatts to gigawatt-level capacity with the DSX platform. The expansion is meant to back AI factories, sovereign AI models and future versions of NAVER’s HyperCLOVA X models while strengthening domestic AI capabilities.

Huang disclosed a collaboration with LG Group focused on motor technology and mechanical systems to link humanoid robotics work with data center and computing development. After meeting LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, he told reporters: “We are working with them in motor technology as well as mechanical systems so that we can bring together humanoid robotics and the future of robotics.” He described recent market weakness as a buying opportunity and said investors could “buy at a discount.”

Market reaction was modest overall. Nvidia recovered part of a 6.2% drop on Friday that followed weaker-than-expected guidance from a major chip vendor and renewed interest-rate concerns that weighed on semiconductor shares. In South Korea, the Kospi index fell as investors reduced exposure to AI-related stocks after U.S. tech weakness.

The deals link onshore compute and memory capacity to local chip design and data-center scale compute. Nvidia’s DSX platform packages hardware, software and system designs aimed at accelerating deployment of large AI systems, and the agreements show demand from major tech and industrial firms for integrated AI infrastructure and robotics work.