[비즈한국] Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is visiting Korea once again, just half a year after his last trip. It is reported that he will head straight to Korea immediately after wrapping up Computex and GTC in Taiwan. Already, the media and the stock market are buzzing. Information sheets containing his detailed schedule are circulating, and a "samgyeopsal (pork belly) meeting" is being anticipated, following last year's "kkanbu meeting." It seems that even a visit from a famous global pop idol wouldn't garner this much granular attention lately. That is how much Nvidia’s influence has grown in the AI market.
However, from another perspective, I believe the current interest is driven by high expectations for CEO Jensen Huang. He is, so to speak, a "star CEO." Since Bill Gates, Silicon Valley has seen numerous star founders, including Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. But to the outside world, and to me personally, Jensen Huang feels a bit different.
In particular, his moves—such as meeting with conglomerate heads at a local chicken restaurant and appearing on a street stage in front of COEX, as if he truly understands the hospitality here—made quite a significant impact. Long-time "insiders" in the IT industry have been flooding social media with stories of their brief or lengthy encounters with him. This time, since his schedule in Korea is much longer than his stay for major events like Computex and GTC in Taiwan, he seems to be receiving more attention than ever before.
Roaming the Yongsan Electronics Market and Meeting Everyone
Jensen Huang is the computing semiconductor CEO who has visited Korea the most. At one point, he would visit Korea almost every month, meeting directly with domestic graphics card manufacturers and distributors. He often walked through the Yongsan Electronics Market himself to check on market conditions.
With the spread of the internet in the late 90s, the domestic DIY PC market, centered around Yongsan, was a stage that the whole world watched closely. Consumers were sensitive to products, and the unique distribution, marketing, and profit structure of the Yongsan market were not easy to grasp. Jensen Huang was the one who frequently asked many questions about this environment and, in reality, understood it deeply.
Because he also had a keen interest in PC-related media and communities, he never hesitated to meet with reporters whenever he visited Korea. I suppose I am one of them. That makes me suddenly wonder, "Wait, why is everyone so hyped up about Jensen Huang coming?" But looking back, since all the current computing issues we face—from AI to gaming—are being realized by this one man who loves leather jackets, it is inevitable that everyone, regardless of age or field, looks on with interest.
Many people are now well aware of the "cheerful" and "refreshing" image associated with Jensen Huang. He enjoys meeting people anywhere and loves talking to anyone. He is open about sharing personal stories and does not hesitate in front of the media.
Even now, after keynote speeches or various events, Jensen Huang often greets attendees and takes photos with them. You can hear reactions like, "Wow, it's so easy to talk to him..." In truth, in the domestic media environment where there are few opportunities to meet CEOs or corporate owners, and where people are unaccustomed to such casual skinship, his behavior can be quite surprising.
Watching those scenes, I feel that his expression is brighter than ever. While that is likely because everyone is looking toward Nvidia and his business of over 30 years is finally shining, I believe he is more excited that his achievements as an engineer have actually changed the world.
A CEO Who Knows How to Explain Technology Himself
Meeting Jensen Huang has been quite an interesting experience for a long time. Nvidia's graphics cards have consistently made groundbreaking changes with each generation. Looking back, whether those attempts were successful or not, it is a fact that he has led the changes in the gaming environment. Nvidia didn't just look at the volume of computing, but identified factors to make computer graphics environments feel more realistic, slowly pulling those calculation areas from the CPU to the GPU. Many things were born through these new concepts.
And Jensen Huang was almost the only CEO who could explain all of that himself. Even now, he is deeply involved in GPU architecture design and leads the very direction of computing, so his understanding is naturally high. He articulates answers to questions about products and architecture with ease, and boldly answers questions about management as well.
Even when there were controversies with other semiconductor companies long ago, his approach as a CEO was fresh. While American companies usually have no problem with marketing that strongly implies sarcasm toward competitors, it is rare for management—especially CEOs—to voice criticisms directly to the outside world due to corporate relationships or external issues. However, Jensen Huang does not avoid sensitive issues and lays out his position point by point with direct language. Naturally, powerful statements from a CEO who understands all technology and business carry significant weight. This "honesty" is exactly what I liked most about Jensen Huang. It is a language that saves you from having to struggle with interpretation.
This side of him has grown even more as Nvidia has steadily expanded. While his innate confidence and pushy personality play a role, I believe what truly created this is his confidence as an engineer. In fact, Nvidia is the only semiconductor company currently leading the PC revival that is run by a founder who understands the core technology.
Still an Excited 'Close Older Brother' Explaining Tech
Back when the CPU dominated everything in computing, he established the concept of the GPU to expand the scope of graphics cards. At the time, some pointed out it was just a marketing term, but since then, GeForce graphics cards have taken on one graphics-related process after another. Through CUDA, he created new areas with the GPU's immense processing power. As he is going through the process of realizing what was once just a dream of artificial intelligence in the computing industry, he has every reason to be confident. Consequently, his recent keynotes are filled with so many stories that the scheduled time becomes meaningless, and his excitement shows in every word he speaks.
On one hand, I find myself envious of his path. In particular, corporate founders and CEOs in Korea are in positions that garner significant attention. However, successful entrepreneurs often disappear from the public eye as they are wrapped in labels like "chaebol" or "billionaire." While executives need to focus on deciding the direction of the business and solving important problems, they are also the faces that represent the company to the outside world. Stories about products, future strategies, business philosophy, and sometimes sensitive issues take on different meanings when communicated through the executives themselves.
Executives are not respected simply because a business succeeded or made a lot of money. Communicating with the market, building mutual understanding, and conveying the company's core philosophy are also vital roles for entrepreneurs. Especially for future business leaders dreaming of founding and growth, what better gift could there be?
Seeing this "close older brother," who once joked about giving me a ride in his newly bought car if I ever came to California, and his company now exerting the greatest influence on the planet and receiving such warm hospitality, makes me feel genuinely gratified. But what is even more welcome is that even after becoming the head of a company competing for the world's number one market cap, his essence remains unchanged—still making eye contact with his audience and excitedly explaining technology as an engineer.