Naver founder, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang discuss AI cooperation

Seoul, May 22 (IANS) Lee Hae-jin, founder of South Korea’s top portal Naver Corp., met with Nvidia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang in Taiwan on Thursday to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and other key areas, industry sources said.

During the meeting, Lee, who serves as chairman of the company’s board, discussed with Jensen Huang and other Nvidia officials ways to enhance cooperation and explore potential collaboration in sovereign AI and other areas, according to the sources, reports Yonhap news agency.

Lee was in Taiwan to attend the Computex 2025 tech exhibition in Taiwan, accompanied by Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon and other top executives, they added.

It marks Lee’s first known overseas business trip since his appointment as the board chairman in March. The appointment was widely seen as a strategic move to lead the company through intensifying global competition in big tech and artificial intelligence (AI).

Lee previously met with Huang at Nvidia’s U.S. headquarters in June 2024 while serving as Naver’s global investment officer.

Then, the two discussed issues related to sovereign AI, which refers to the concept of building regionally customized AI models that reflect local culture and values, and comply with local regulations.

Naver is expected to bolster the development of HyperClova X, the company’s proprietary large language model (LLM) first introduced in 2023. The company aims to integrate AI across key services, including search and commerce platforms, to enhance its existing ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Hae-jin returned to the company’s board as chairperson in March, signalling a push for a sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) strategy within the domestic tech industry.

Lee’s appointment as the chair of Naver Corp.’s board was confirmed at the company’s annual general shareholders’ meeting held in Seongnam, south of Seoul. Lee, who has been serving as the company’s global investment officer (GIO), will oversee Naver’s overarching business strategies.

He had previously stepped down as board chairperson in March 2017 and left the board entirely in 2018 to focus on expanding Naver’s global footprint in his role as GIO.

His return comes amid growing concerns that South Korea is falling behind global tech giants in the fast-evolving space of AI model development.

—IANS

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