Korean Chaebols Collectively Move into Humanoid Robots as NVIDIA Deepens Ties with Five Major Conglomerates
Claire Weston
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang flew to Seoul after COMPUTEX and signed robot and AI deals with LG, SK, Doosan and others — Nvidia's largest-ever strategic push into Korea, marking the humanoid-robot race as a formal U.S.–China–Korea three-way contest.
What did Huang sign on this Korea trip?
Huang went straight from COMPUTEX to Seoul. Partners span LG Group, SK Telecom, SK Hynix, Naver, and Doosan Group.
The LG deal expands strategic cooperation around Isaac GR00T — Nvidia's humanoid-robot foundation-model ecosystem.
Huang met Hyundai Motor executive chairman Euisun Chung to discuss jointly building AI and robotics data-center systems.
This means → Nvidia is not just selling chips; it is embedding its robot software platform deep inside Korea's industrial chain.
Why are car factories the first stop for humanoid robots?
Auto plants run large-scale, standardized production lines — ideal conditions for robot training and deployment.
Self-driving, sensor and machine-vision tech built for smart cars overlaps heavily with what humanoid robots need.
In plain terms = car factories are the tidiest environments and car tech is the closest match, so robots "clock in" at the auto plant first.
The logic holds globally: Tesla builds in-house, Figure partners with BMW, UBTech with NIO, XPeng builds its own — Hyundai's acquisition of Boston Dynamics follows the same playbook.
Where does each of the five chaebols stand?
Hyundai Motor: acquired Boston Dynamics from SoftBank, securing the world's most mature legged-robot technology.
LG: unveiled the CLOiD humanoid robot at CES 2026 and is deepening its foundation-model tie-up with Nvidia.
Samsung Electronics: formally established a robotics division that reports directly to the CEO — This means → Samsung has elevated robotics to the same strategic tier as semiconductors and smartphones.
Doosan Group: Korea's largest collaborative-robot maker, now deepening its Nvidia partnership in robotics.
What edge does the chaebol system give Korea in this race?
Humanoid robots are still in a capital-intensive, pre-commercialization phase. Whoever concentrates capital and acquires proven tech fastest gains the lead.
In plain terms = the chaebol advantage boils down to "money is pooled, decisions are fast" — Hyundai's Boston Dynamics deal is the textbook case.
Chaebol scale also pulls smaller suppliers into a clear development roadmap, accelerating supply-chain integration.
How much is the Korean government betting?
Seoul reportedly launched a national AI humanoid-robot program in May 2026.
The plan commits roughly KRW 50 billion (about $36 million) through 2030, targeting hardware, software, AI and battery core technologies.
This reflects a government-level decision to treat humanoid robots as a national strategy, not just a corporate initiative.
Can Korea really become the "third pole"?
The global humanoid-robot race is currently led by the U.S. (Tesla, Nvidia, Figure) and China (UBTech, Agibot, XPeng).
Korea's decisive factor: whether chaebol capital integration and technology commercialization can hit a synchronized rhythm.
This means → money and acquisition capability alone are not enough — the real test is whether acquired technology can actually run on Korean factory floors.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.