Huang's itinerary spans chaebol leaders, startups and esports, underscoring Nvidia's efforts to deepen its presence in South Korea, a key AI market. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during a press conference at Computex in Taipei on Tuesday. (AFP-Yonhap) Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang is set to touch down in Seoul on Friday afternoon, kicking off a four-day trip focused on deepening ties with South Korea’s tech, manufacturing and AI industries.The highly anticipated visit will be Huang’s longest stay here in recent years and comes as Nvidia seeks to expand its partnership beyond semiconductors into emerging areas such as robotics, physical AI and AI infrastructure. Huang last visited Korea seven months ago for the APEC summit, where he made waves with headline-grabbing GPU deals and high-profile meetings with chiefs of major conglomerates.Huang is scheduled to land at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul aboard a private jet at around 1 p.m., following his appearance at the Computex trade show in Taiwan.His packed schedule includes meetings with chiefs of major companies across a range of industries, as well as startup founders, researchers and students.Huang's first stop is expected to be an esports venue. According to industry sources, he is scheduled to visit T1 Base Camp, a PC gaming center operated by leading esports organization T1, where he will meet the team's League of Legends roster, including star player Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok.The meeting underscores Nvidia's longstanding ties to the gaming industry and its growing interest in the broader esports ecosystem, which has become a major cultural and commercial force in South Korea.One of the most closely watched events is a dinner gathering Friday evening with some of South Korea’s most influential business leaders.At a Korean barbecue restaurant in Seoul, grilled pork belly, soju and beer will accompany discussions between Huang and some of South Korea's most influential corporate leaders: SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chair Koo Kwang-mo and Naver founder and chair Lee Hae-jin.Local media have dubbed the event the "samgyeopsal summit," fueling speculation over whether it will echo last October's "Kkanbu summit," where Huang, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun drew public attention by bonding over fried chicken and beer. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (right) shares fried chicken and beer with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (left) and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun at a Kkanbu Chicken outlet in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in October, at a gathering that Korea nicknamed the "Kkanbu summit." (Herald DB) Talks are anticipated to center on high-bandwidth memory, AI data centers, autonomous driving, robotics, and physical AI — all areas where Nvidia has been actively pursuing closer ties with Korean partners.South Korea has emerged as a critical market for AI chip giant Nvidia as global demand for AI infrastructure accelerates worldwide.Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are key suppliers of high-bandwidth memory chips used in Nvidia’s AI accelerators and GPUs. Hyundai, LG, Naver and other Korean firms are investing heavily in robotics, autonomous systems and sovereign AI initiatives.Industry officials view Huang's extended stay as a sign that Nvidia's engagement with South Korea is moving beyond its traditional role as a customer of memory chips. The company is looking to nurture a full-fledged AI ecosystem across Korea, spanning everything from chips and cloud infrastructure to robotics and manufacturing.On Sunday, Huang is expected to meet Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NC Corp., a Korean gaming company. The discussions will likely center on AI applications in gaming. The South Korean game developer has previously collaborated with Nvidia on game showcases and AI initiatives.On Monday, Huang is expected to meet startup founders and students. A closed-door session with leaders of Korean AI and robotics startups is planned at the Shilla Seoul, with Nota AI, RLWRLD and Upstage among the expected participants.Additional visits to offices of major corporate partners, including Hyundai Motor Group, LG Group and Naver, are being discussed, with physical AI expected to be a key topic.Huang is also scheduled to meet executives from Krafton Inc., including Chairman Chang Byung-gyu and senior AI leadership, to discuss potential collaboration in physical AI, humanoid robotics and AI-powered gaming technologies.Beyond business meetings, Huang is expected to make several high-profile public appearances. He is slated to record an episode of a popular South Korean television talk show, “You Quiz on the Block,” and throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Doosan Bears home baseball game in Seoul on Sunday.