As part of a strategic move to strengthen SK Group's position in the global AI and semiconductor markets, Chairman Chey Tae-won is set to depart for the U.S. The purpose of the visit is to assess the current situation and explore potential business opportunities in these rapidly evolving fields.
Choi's itinerary includes meetings with key players from major U.S. technology companies, commonly referred to as “Big Tech.” The visit comes two months after he met with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at the company's San Jose headquarters in April. He is accompanied on the trip by key executives from SK Group's AI and semiconductor divisions, including SK Telecom President Yoo Young-sang and SK Hynix President Kim Joo-sung.
Chairman Choi's visit will include Silicon Valley in San Jose as well as other parts of the U.S. where local partner companies are located. SK Group is cultivating a comprehensive AI ecosystem from semiconductors to services, and during this visit, he is expected to explore collaborations with global companies based on this ecosystem.
In a statement, an SK Group official emphasized the strategic importance of the visit, saying, “Chairman Choi Tae-won visited the United States in April, Taiwan in June, and now the United States again, striving to build a global network to strengthen the competitiveness of our AI and semiconductor businesses.”
Chairman Choi met with TSMC's new chairman, Mark Liu, in Taiwan on June 6th, where he emphasized that SK's AI direction is focused on “people.” The meeting highlighted SK Group's focus on developing AI technology that benefits humanity. “Let's build the foundation for AI that serves humanity together,” Chairman Choi said during the meeting.
SK Group's AI efforts are supported by the company's strong semiconductor capabilities. SK Hynix leads the global AI memory market with competitive products such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM), high-capacity DDR5 modules and enterprise SSDs (eSSDs). In addition, SK Telecom's generative AI service “A.” has attracted approximately 4 million subscribers with its differentiated personal assistant features.
The group's “clean energy solutions” are also gaining attention as an alternative means to secure clean energy and reduce power usage in data centers, in line with the technology industry's increasing emphasis on sustainable energy practices.
An SK Group official elaborated on the company's efforts, saying, “We will spare no time and resources to strengthen national competitiveness and consolidate our leadership in the increasingly competitive fields of AI and semiconductors.”
Chairman Choi's visit to the U.S. is part of a broader strategy to build a global network and strengthen the competitiveness of SK Group's AI and semiconductor businesses, an effort that is crucial to maintaining and strengthening Korea's position in these high-tech industries that are crucial to the country's economic future.
As Chairman Choi continues to work hard to build international cooperation, the outcome of his meetings with global technology leaders is expected to be of great interest. The strategic partnerships and insights gained from this visit are expected to play a key role in determining the future direction of SK Group's AI and semiconductor businesses.
