Huawei Considers Launching AI Accelerators in Korea... 'A New Alternative in Nvidia-Dominated Market'

Huawei plans to introduce its next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator, the Ascend 950 series, to the Korean market next year. This move directly challenges Nvidia Corporation, which currently dominates the domestic AI accelerator market. Huawei aims to attract customers by offering an 'end-to-end' solution that supports every stage of AI adoption—including servers, networks, storage, and software—to maximize AI chip performance.
"Ascend is a Second Option Beyond Nvidia"
At 'Huawei Day 2025' held at The Plaza Hotel Seoul on the 26th, Balian Wang, President of Huawei Korea, stated, "We hope to launch our latest AI chip, the Ascend 950 series, in the Korean market next year," adding, "We will offer Korean companies a second option beyond Nvidia." The Ascend 950 is an AI accelerator developed in-house by Huawei, equipped with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). While the exact HBM specifications have not been disclosed, it is estimated to perform between HBM3E (5th generation) and HBM4 (6th generation).
Huawei Korea plans to sell the chips in clusters rather than as individual units. By utilizing its 'SuperPOD' technology, which connects thousands of Ascend chips into a single system, the company aims to build an optimized AI computing environment and overcome the limitations of single-chip performance. According to the company, this approach can raise AI chip performance—including power efficiency and computation—to levels comparable to Nvidia products.
Huawei Korea also hinted at the possibility of selling the Ascend 950 series directly, bypassing local partners. Wang emphasized, "By bundling not just a single AI card or server, but also network equipment and storage, we can deliver higher performance than competitors," adding, "Huawei will develop a strategy to integrate and service these solutions independently." However, he clarified that there are no plans to launch its foldable smartphone, the HUAWEI Mate XTs ULTIMATE DESIGN, in the Korean market.
"Sharing a Decade of Talent Development in Korea"
On the same day, Huawei Korea also shared the results of a decade of operating its global talent development program, 'Seeds for the Future,' in Korea. The program goes beyond technical education, helping young people expand their information and communications technology (ICT) and digital leadership skills in a global environment. More than 7,000 participants have completed the program in Korea alone.
The program has received strong feedback, with 78% of participants saying they would recommend it to their peers. Kim Seoyung, a student at Hanyang University, commented, "Experiencing firsthand how concepts I had only read about in books are applied in the global field broadened my perspective. The biggest gain was the opportunity to collaborate in a global environment and plan a concrete future while studying." Seung-Hoon Hwang, a professor at Dongguk University who signed an MOU with Huawei Korea, also remarked, "I am confident that the Seeds for the Future program has become a seed for the future growth of global talent, including university students in Korea."
mkchang@fnnews.com Jang Min-kwon Reporter