Companies and government officials are reportedly finalizing negotiations to place a new artificial intelligence R&D center in South Korea, according to reporting that cites industry and government sources. Hyundai Motor, NVIDIA Corporation and the South Korean government are the parties involved in the closing discussions.
The Saemangeum reclamation project - a large stretch of reclaimed land on South Korea's southwest coast - has been identified as the leading contender to host the center, the report said. Officials familiar with the discussions indicated Saemangeum has emerged as the preferred site.
The proposed facility would be modeled on Nvidia's other research outposts in the region, including bases in Singapore and Taiwan. The establishment of the center appears to be an extension of the memorandum of understanding Hyundai and Nvidia signed in October 2025, under which Nvidia agreed to supply Hyundai with GPUs and to jointly set up AI sites in South Korea.
Separately, Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang is slated to travel to South Korea this week. During that visit he is expected to meet Hyundai Chair Euisun Chung and several other business leaders on Friday.
Market indicators shown alongside the report reflected downward movement in the stocks referenced. NVIDIA was noted as down 3.62% while Hyundai Motor was noted as down 3.02%. A snapshot of NVIDIA's quoted trading levels included a closing price of 214.75, down 8.07 or 3.62%, and an after-hours snapshot at 214.55, down 0.20 or 0.09%.
Context for stakeholders
For industrial and market observers, the alignment of a major automaker, a leading GPU provider and government backing signals a coordinated approach to building AI infrastructure on Korean soil. The report ties the current talks directly to the October 2025 memorandum of understanding in which Nvidia committed to supply GPUs and collaborate on AI sites with Hyundai.
All parties referenced in the report are in advanced stages of discussion - the characterization used in the report was that talks are in a "final" phase.