Qualcomm CEO Visits Korea, Meets with Samsung, SK, and LG Executives

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[Financial News] Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, is visiting Korea and will meet successively with executives from major companies including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and LG Electronics to discuss cooperation in the AI semiconductor sector. 
According to the industry on the 21st, Amon will meet that day with Han Jinman, president of Samsung Electronics' foundry business, as well as other foundry executives. Qualcomm is expected to discuss plans to produce its next-generation application processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, using Samsung Electronics' 2nm process (SF2). At CES 2026 in January, Amon said, "We have started discussions with Samsung Electronics on foundry production using the 2nm process," adding that the design work had already been completed. 
Qualcomm is expanding its business portfolio beyond smartphones into automotive semiconductors, the Internet of Things (IoT), on-device AI, and even AI inference in data centers. Because stable memory supply is essential, analysts say cooperation with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix is inevitable. In particular, Qualcomm has maintained a close partnership with Samsung Electronics for more than 30 years. 
Amon had previously discussed memory semiconductor supply with SK hynix executives. He will also hold a closed-door meeting with Lyu Jae-cheol, CEO of LG Electronics, and other executives at an undisclosed location in Seoul this afternoon. The two sides are expected to discuss technological cooperation in Physical AI, an area Qualcomm is pursuing as a future growth engine. LG Electronics is focusing on building a smart home ecosystem based on AI home appliances. It plans to expand the application of AI technology beyond the home into mobility and online spaces. 
At CES 2026, Qualcomm unveiled a range of robot platforms, including the high-performance robot processor Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ10, as well as automotive AI and humanoid technologies, signaling its push to lead the Physical AI market. Qualcomm previously partnered with LG Electronics' mobile business. It is now broadening cooperation into audio products and automotive electronics.
soup@fnnews.com Im Subin Reporter