Seoul— Lee Hae-jin, founder and board chairman of South Korea’s leading internet company Naver Corp., met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Taiwan on Thursday to discuss potential collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies, according to industry sources.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Computex 2025 tech exhibition in Taiwan, focused on deepening cooperation in sovereign AI and other strategic areas. Lee was joined by Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon and other senior executives.
This marks Lee’s first known overseas business trip since his return as board chairman in March, a move widely viewed as a strategic step to help steer Naver through increasing global competition in the AI and big tech sectors.
Lee and Huang previously met in June 2024 at Nvidia’s U.S. headquarters, where they discussed sovereign AI—an approach to developing AI models tailored to local cultures, values, and regulations.
Naver is currently advancing HyperClova X, its proprietary large language model launched in 2023. The company plans to integrate AI across its ecosystem, including search and commerce services, to strengthen its market position.
Lee resumed his role as board chairman at Naver’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Seongnam, signaling a renewed focus on sovereign AI strategies for South Korea’s tech industry. He had stepped down from the position in 2017 and left the board in 2018 to focus on global investments.
His return comes amid rising concerns that South Korea is lagging behind in AI model development as global tech giants race ahead in the space. (Source: IANS)
