Seoul hosts first AMD–Korea AI chip steering meeting

The Korean science ministry and AMD held the first steering committee meeting of their AI chip partnership on Wednesday in Seoul. The meeting took place at the Westin Seoul Parnas hotel, during AMD Advancing AI World Tour Seoul 2026 — the company's first flagship AI event in Korea.

What does the committee actually do?

The Ministry of Science and ICT set up the committee to check, on a regular basis, how the memorandum of understanding signed in July is being carried out. Wednesday's session was the first of those reviews.

Lee Do-gyu, head of the ministry's Office of ICT Policy, met Keith Strier, AMD's senior vice president for global AI markets. The two reviewed progress on the deal's key tasks and discussed concrete plans and timelines.

The agenda has three main tracks:

• Heterogeneous AI computing infrastructure. AMD's processors and graphics chips would run alongside Korean-made neural processing units — chips designed specifically for AI workloads.
• An AMD AI research center in Korea.
• University support and AI talent training.

High-level backing

The meeting follows a visit by AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su on Oct. 7. She met Second Vice Science Minister Ryu Je-myung, and both sides restated their commitment to working together on AI chips.

Ryu also attended this week's event and toured the exhibition booths with Strier.

How big was the event?

More than 1,300 people preregistered for AMD Advancing AI World Tour Seoul 2026, according to the ministry. Registration closed early because demand exceeded capacity.

Korean companies working with AMD on AI computing took part. They included LG Electronics and two AI software startups, Moreh and MangoBoost. Lee spoke on a panel titled "Building Korea's AI Nation."

What does this change for Korea's chip sector?

The signals point to substance rather than ceremony. AMD chose Korea for its flagship AI event for the first time, and the ministry frames the MOU as a channel for Korean chipmakers into larger AI computing stacks.

"AMD holding its flagship Advancing AI event in Korea for the first time shows that it sees Korea as an important AI partner," Ryu said.

"The ministry will work to make sure the tasks agreed under the MOU move ahead smoothly," he said. "We want that to lead to growth for Korean AI chip companies and a more competitive AI ecosystem."

What comes next

The steering committee now becomes the working mechanism for the partnership, and the July MOU turns into a schedule of deliverables: the mixed-chip infrastructure, the research center and the talent programs all have plans and timelines under discussion. No dates were disclosed at this stage. The committee's regular reviews will be the place to watch for firm milestones.