Sam Altman makes surprise South Korea visit as OpenAI builds on chip partnerships

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAi speaks with CNBC in San Francisco on Sept. 29th, 2026.

CNBC

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made an unannounced visit to South Korea over the weekend, meeting with Samsung executives and reportedly holding talks with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, building on existing partnerships with the country's leading chipmakers.

Samsung said Saturday that Altman met with around 50 executives from its affiliates spanning electronics, finance and biotechnology in Yongin, south of Seoul.

The discussions covered AI developments, potential business opportunities and the technology's impact on corporate decision-making and operations, Samsung said. 

Altman also met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won over lunch Saturday, with senior executives from SK Hynix and SK Telecom in attendance, according to South Korean media reports.

The two sides may have discussed cooperation on AI chips and data centers, including existing plans for high-bandwidth memory supplies and AI data center development, according to local media reports. The participants didn't provide details of the discussions.

SK Hynix told CNBC it was unable to confirm the reported meeting.

Altman also visited South Korea in October 2025, when he met with President Lee Jae Myung, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and announced partnerships with Samsung and SK Group as part of OpenAI's Stargate initiative.

OpenAI's Stargate initiative aims to expand AI infrastructure globally, with South Korea playing a role through partnerships focused on advanced memory chip supplies and AI data center development.

Under the agreements, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix outlined plans to ramp up production of advanced memory chips, while OpenAI and its South Korean partners agreed to explore developing AI data centers in the country.

Altman left South Korea on Saturday, according to local media reports.