SK chief expands TSMC, Nvidia ties amid AI chip race SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (left) and TSMC Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei meet in Taipei on Wednesday. (SK hynix) SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is strengthening alliances with the world's most influential AI chipmakers, holding talks with TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei in Taiwan days after meeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.The meeting, held on Wednesday, was the first in-person talk between Chey and Wei since June 2024, SK hynix said Thursday. It came as global AI chip supply chains face growing bottlenecks amid surging demand from big tech companies.The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in next-generation high-bandwidth memory and advanced packaging, areas seen as critical to improving the performance and efficiency of AI accelerators."Both sides agreed to broaden their collaboration across next-generation HBM development and advanced packaging, in a concerted effort to stay ahead in the fast-evolving AI market," SK hynix said.SK hynix, the world's leading supplier of HBM chips, has been working with TSMC to strengthen its position in the custom AI memory market. SK hynix's sixth-generation HBM4, which will be used in Nvidia's Vera Rubin platform, combines TSMC's 12-nanometer base die technology with SK hynix's 1b DRAM process, its fifth-generation 10-nanometer-class technology.Chey also used his trip to Computex 2026 in Taiwan to reinforce ties with Huang, whose company is one of SK hynix's most important HBM customers. During a tour of SK hynix's booth at the Taipei tech show on Tuesday, led by Chey, Huang wrote "Please make more" on an HBM4E sample, a symbolic gesture underscoring Nvidia's demand for the Korean chipmaker's next-generation AI memory chips.Nvidia chief returns to SeoulChey and Huang are set to continue their AI talks in Seoul on Friday, where they are expected to meet over pork belly and soju with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver founder and Chairman Lee Hae-jin in Seongsu-gu.Huang arrives in the capital Friday with a packed itinerary centered on AI, robotics, gaming and chips.He is confirmed to appear on the popular tvN talk show “You Quiz on the Block” and on Sunday will also throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears baseball game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won will join Huang on the field as the ceremonial batter.According to the baseball club, Huang, known for his interest in baseball, will take the mound wearing a Doosan Bears uniform with the number 93, a reference to Nvidia’s founding year of 1993. Park, who owns the Doosan Bears, will wear number 96, symbolizing Doosan’s founding year of 1896.Huang is also scheduled to meet NC CEO Kim Taek-jin that day to discuss cooperation in gaming and physical AI.The following day, he is expected to meet startup founders and students. He will be holding a closed-door meeting with heads of Korean AI and robotics startups at the Shilla Seoul, with Nota AI, RLWRLD and Upstage among the expected participants.Huang is also expected to visit Seoul National University's AI institute and robotics institute. The visit follows an earlier trip to the institute by his daughter and Nvidia board member Madison.During the trip, the Nvidia chief will also visit the headquarters of major Korean companies. At Naver's 1784 headquarters, he is expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as AI factories, sovereign AI and physical AI. Visits to Hyundai Motor Group and LG Group offices are also being planned, according to industry sources.