NVIDIA held the ‘GeForce Gamer Festival’ at the KPOP Square in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 30th. On this day, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang visited the GeForce Gamer Festival after having a ‘chimaek’ (chicken and beer) gathering with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung. CEO Jensen Huang (center) is introducing Euisun Chung and Lee Jae-yong. 2025.10.30 /
South Korea’s representative mega-corporations, Samsung Hyundai alliance and Hyundai Motor Group, are uniting as ‘one team’. Tracing back the roots of the groups, they were rival organizations that engaged in life-or-death competition for nearly a century. Such companies have now become allies shouting ‘one team’ to globally lead advanced future industries.
This is not a matter of a routine necessity suggested by working-level staff. It is impossible without the resolute decision of top-tier leadership.
In fact, the chairmen of both groups felt a mutual accord. Triggered by the battery collaboration achieved in 2023 under the leadership of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, a ‘mega-sized alliance’ between South Korea’s two major groups has been forged.
The pledge of brotherhood between Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group took place on November 9 at the Samsung Electronics Seocheon Training Center. Samsung invited key executives of Hyundai Motor Group to host ‘HMG Appreciation Day’.
The roster of attendees was impressive.
On the Hyundai Motor Group side, attendees included Hyundai Motor Group President Chang Jae-hoon, Hyundai Motor Group Planning and Coordination President Seo Gang-hyun, Hyundai-Kia R&D Division President Manfred Harrer, Hyundai-Kia AVP Division President Park Min-woo, Hyundai-Kia Manufacturing Division President Jeong Jun-cheol, Hyundai Glovis President Lee Kyu-bok, and Hyundai Steel President Lee Bo-ryong.
From Samsung, Jeon Young-hyun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics who hosted the event, was joined by Roh Tae-moon, President of Samsung Electronics DX Division; Park Yong-in, President and Head of Samsung Electronics DS Division System LSI Business; Han Jin-man, President and Head of Samsung Electronics DS Division Foundry Business; Choi Won-joon, President and COO/Head of Development Office for Samsung Electronics DX Division MX Business; Christian Sobottka, President of Samsung Harman; Lee Chung, President of Samsung Display; Choi Joo-sun, President of Samsung SDI; and Chang Duk-hyun, President of Samsung Electro-Mechanics.
Virtually all top executives from both corporate groups gathered in full force. That is not all. A total of 177 people, including key executives, corporate officers, and spouses from both groups, witnessed this historic moment.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
The theme of the event was also ‘One Harmony for the Future’. The materials announcing the day’s event unhesitatingly used the word ‘one team’. One team signifies more than a strategic partnership.
Jeon Young-hyun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, said in his welcome speech, “Hyundai Motor Group and Samsung are reliable partners that have written the history of South Korea’s industry together. We expect that Hyundai Motor Group’s innovative vision of leading future mobility and the Samsung Group’s technological prowess encompassing parts to finished products will meet to create new values and infinite possibilities together.”
Chang Jae-hoon, President of Hyundai Motor Group, stated in his return speech, “Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group are expanding cooperation possibilities in future industries such as robotics and energy, beyond vehicle component areas like electronics, audio, and batteries. Since the respective strengths built by both groups across three generations since their founding can create greater synergy when combined, we hope to respect each other’s strengths and join forces to tackle future challenges together.”
The goal pursued by the ‘one team’ of Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group is ‘global advanced industry leadership.’ A common objective to become global pioneers in future mobility and physical AI has been established.
The bold decisions made by both groups were underpinned by the battery supply contract directly orchestrated by Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Executive Chair Euisun Chung.
The two chairmen met twice in May 2020 at the Samsung SDI Cheonan plant and in July at the Hyundai-Kia Namyang R&D Center to discuss business cooperation, including next-generation electric vehicle batteries. Simultaneously, they explored possibilities for cooperation in the future mobility sector. Fruits soon followed. Samsung SDI and Hyundai signed their first EV battery supply contract in 2023.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
However, the battery alliance alone seemed to leave something to be desired.
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung sought to elevate the cooperative relationship between the two major groups, which had previously been conducted on a business-by-business and affiliate-by-affiliate basis, to the group level.
At ‘HMG Appreciation Day’, a video symbolizing the purpose of the event was screened, featuring the early days of both companies that led South Korea’s growth, the localization process of automobiles and semiconductors, and scenes of exchanges between the top management of both companies. The history of collaboration and future vision of the two companies were compressed into this single video.
Hyundai Motor Group is the first major domestic business group for which Samsung has hosted a large-scale invitation event.
Samsung specially emphasized that both groups have built a deep trust relationship since the era of their founding chairmen.
They recalled how Samsung Founder Lee Byung-chul attended the 70th birthday banquet of Hyundai Motor Group Founder Chung Ju-yung in November 1985 despite battling illness, presenting him with a white porcelain jar to express congratulations; and how Samsung Senior Chairman Lee Kun-hee invited then Hyundai-Kia Chairman Chung Mong-koo to Seungjiwon, Samsung’s guesthouse, for a one-on-one meeting in March 2001. They also reminded attendees that cooperation between the two groups began in earnest following the meeting between Lee Kun-hee and Chung Mong-koo.
The background allowing Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group to declare a cooperative relationship can be found in the core industrial structures of both groups.
While Samsung became a global top-tier player in electronics and semiconductors, and Hyundai Motor Group in automobiles, cooperation between the two industries has become paramount in future mobility.
Samsung possesses core technologies required to realize future mobility, including semiconductors, batteries, electronics, displays, and automotive components. As one of the world’s top three automakers, Hyundai Motor Group is leading global innovation in future mobility fields such as electric vehicles, autonomous driving, SDV, and robotics.
Both groups anticipate that combining the technological prowess and business capabilities of Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group will generate synergies in AI and robotics, which will materialize specifically within the physical AI sector.
