South Korea is bringing its A-game to Silicon Valley. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are set to unveil large-scale supply agreements with US technology companies during President Lee Jae Myung’s visit starting July 25, 2026, according to presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom.
The deals center on high-bandwidth memory chips, the specialized silicon that makes modern AI processors actually work.
What we know about the deals
On July 24, Kim Yong-beom confirmed that both Samsung and SK Hynix would announce their respective agreements during President Lee’s trip. The visit includes an AI summit and meetings with some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
Exact deal values and specific partner names haven’t been disclosed yet, pending official announcements during the visit itself. Kim described the visit as a catalyst for “long-running negotiations,” suggesting months (possibly years) of groundwork coming to a head.
