Governor-elect invites Nvidia CEO to K-BBQ dinner in Saemangeum

Governor-elect of North Jeolla Province Lee Won-taeg invited Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to a casual K-BBQ dinner in Saemangeum, proposing the reclaimed land as a hub for Nvidia's AI technology. Lee touted Saemangeum's clean slate and infrastructure, aiming to turn it into a 'Global AI Valley.'

Lee Won-taeg, governor-elect of North Jeolla Province, has extended an invitation to Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive officer of US chipmaker Nvidia, for a casual dinner meeting with him. The liberal governor-elect seeks to offer the reclaimed land of Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, to be used as a hub for Nvidia's envisioned artificial intelligence technology. "I want to invite you to Saemangeum for something deeply authentic: a relaxed evening of Samgyeopsal and a good drink," said the invitation letter to Huang that Lee posted on his Facebook on Saturday. Saemangeum consists of a greenfield that is nearly 300 square kilometers. It was used as the venue for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in 2023. "No stiff protocols, no boring presentations. Just two builders talking about the next 100 years. Let's talk about how to turn Saemangeum into Nvidia's ultimate 'Global AI Valley.'" In his proposal, Lee touted the land as a "clean state with absolute zero legacy regulation," with its infrastructure consisting of clean energy, clean water and a regulatory sandbox in the area rivaling those of Arizona and Saudi Arabia's Oxagon. Lee's offer comes a few weeks after Jensen Huang visited South Korea for a five-day trip to meet business leaders of South Korean conglomerates such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG and Naver, among others. Huang's appearances at humble eateries in Seoul during the visit drew media spotlight. Lee won the local election held on June 3 and is expected to assume the office on Wednesday. Before the election, Lee was a two-term lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea. consnow@heraldcorp.com