NEW YORK — Samsung Electronics (005930) Chairman Jay Y. Lee and SK Group (034730) Chairman Chey Tae-won appeared together to congratulate Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang as he received the 2026 Van Fleet Award for his contributions to Korea-U.S. relations. Both highlighted the partnerships their companies hold with Nvidia in the age of artificial intelligence, while underscoring the significance of the industrial alliance between the two countries.
Lee attended the Korea Society's annual dinner in New York on the 28th, where he said he could think of no one better suited to the award than Huang. "The Korea Society really found the right person," he said.
The Korea Society selected Huang as this year's recipient in recognition of his leadership in AI and accelerated computing and his expanding cooperation with Korean companies. The award is named after General James Van Fleet, who commanded the U.S. Eighth Army during the Korean War, and is given to individuals or institutions that have advanced friendship and cooperation between Korea and the United States.
Lee credited Huang with placing Nvidia at the center of the AI revolution. "He has made the company the center of everything happening in AI today and redefined what computing can do," Lee said. "Now he is powering industries around the world and helping them build something far bigger."
Lee also pointed to the long relationship between Samsung Electronics and Nvidia. "Jensen and I first met at CES about 25 years ago, and we have kept that connection ever since," he said. "Even then, he dreamed big, he had the guts to back it up, and he was someone who gave everything to what he believed in."
He also addressed the widely publicized "chicken and beer" gathering. Noting that both he and Huang have daughters named Madison, Lee said, "All the credit for this chimac party should go to Jensen's daughter Madison." He added, "As a fan of yours, as a partner in a fast-changing industry, and above all as an old friend, I offer my congratulations."
Lee's father, the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, received the Van Fleet Award in 2006, two decades ago, for his contributions to Korea-U.S. relations.
Chey also congratulated Huang at the event and stressed the cooperation between SK Group and Nvidia. "Every time I meet Jensen, his first question is always, 'Can you make it faster?'" Chey said, referring to Korea's "ppalli-ppalli," or hurry-up, culture. "So we are running at the same speed."
He went on to describe the close partnership between the two companies. "Nvidia designs the brain and SK makes the memory," he said. "Nvidia thinks at lightning speed, and SK makes sure it never forgets." The remarks underscored that Nvidia's graphics processing units and SK hynix's (000660) high-bandwidth memory are both essential to the "AI brain."
Chey also spoke about the meaning of the Korea-U.S. alliance and cooperation in the AI industry. "If battle-tested men built our alliance on the battlefield 70 years ago, the front line today, 70 years later, has shifted to the data center," he said. "And the person leading that charge wears a black leather jacket instead of a uniform."
He then proposed a toast "to Jensen Huang, to his family, and to the Korea-U.S. alliance," adding, "I hope our partnership expands far faster than GPU demand."
Separately, Samsung Electronics ran a congratulatory video on a billboard in Times Square in the heart of New York to mark Huang's award. The video, which aired from 6 p.m. local time on the 27th through the 28th, featured four keywords representing Huang — "Pioneer," "Architect," "Builder" and "Friend" — highlighting his path of innovation and his achievements in the AI industry.
