Jensen Huang: "South Korea Will Punch Above Its Weight in the AI Era... Its Ability to Embrace Technology Is Unparalleled"

【Financial News | New York — Correspondent Lee Byung-chul】  Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, described South Korea as a unique country that can both consume and export artificial intelligence (AI). He praised South Korea's ability to embrace technology and its manufacturing capabilities, saying, "By leveraging AI and automation, South Korea can punch far above its weight."
Huang made the remarks after receiving the 2026 James A. Van Fleet Award at The Korea Society's 2026 annual gala in New York on the 28th (local time).
Huang recalled that his ties to South Korea date back to NVIDIA's early days. He said that when he first visited South Korea, seeing young people cheering for StarCraft and NVIDIA and chanting the company's name "took my breath away." He added, "After growing together with South Korea over the past several decades, I couldn't help but fall in love with the country."
He particularly described South Korea's transformation in just over 25 years—from a country that adopted technology to one standing at the forefront of technological innovation—as "an astonishing miracle."
Huang also highlighted South Korea's manufacturing competitiveness in the AI era. "No companies or people are better than South Koreans at building factories," he said. "South Korea is now building a 'factory of intelligence,' and we are building it together."
He identified South Korea's high level of social acceptance of technology as one of its key strengths. "South Korea has a genuine strength in being able to invent technology while also spreading it throughout society," he said. "By using AI and automation, South Korea can realize its aspirations without being constrained by its small population."
Huang also pushed back against excessive fears surrounding AI. "AI is not alive, nor does it break free from control and act on its own," he said. "It is simply software that runs algorithms." He emphasized that AI systems must be placed in a restricted environment and "contained," while their behavior must be continuously "monitored" to ensure safety.
He defined the guiding principle for navigating the AI era as "responsible optimism." Huang said, "Work with AI, use it, and harness it to empower yourself." He added, "South Korea has a major advantage in this technological revolution thanks to its enthusiasm for embracing technology."


[email protected] Lee Byung-chul, Correspondent Reporter