NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang receives 2026 Van Fleet Award…"Korea and the United States are building the future together"

October 1, 2026 – Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA (www.nvidia.co.kr), a leader in AI computing technology, received the 2026 James A. Van Fleet Award at The Korea Society's annual gala held in New York on September 28 (local time).

The Van Fleet Award is given to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the development of Korea-US relations. The award comes as NVIDIA continues close cooperation with Korea's technology and industrial ecosystem across AI, semiconductors and computing.

In his acceptance remarks, Jensen Huang looked back on his longstanding ties with Korea and expressed his expectations for the role Korea will play in the AI era.

Decades-long ties with Korea, Korea's transformation a "remarkable miracle"

Jensen Huang said the award holds especially special meaning for him because of the long relationship he has built with Korea since NVIDIA's earliest days.

He recalled first forming ties with Korea when he was founding the company and pioneering a new computing industry. He said that over the following decades he grew alongside Korea and personally witnessed its transformation from a country that adopted technology to one at the forefront of the global technology industry.

Jensen Huang described the transformation Korea has achieved over the past decades as a "remarkable miracle," highlighting the resilience of the Korean people and their aspiration for an even greater leap. He also said he was proud to stand at the meeting point of two great nations at a time when Korea-US relations carry more significance than ever.

Korea's distinctive strengths in the AI era

In a conversation held after the ceremony, Jensen Huang emphasized that Korea has the capability to actively use AI while also exporting it.

He cited Korea's passion for technology as a key strength, explaining that Korea is well positioned not only to develop new technologies but also to spread them quickly across society and industry.

Building "intelligence factories" together

Jensen Huang described AI as a new form of infrastructure following electricity and the internet, saying it will provide ever greater power to nations, societies and companies.

He also highlighted Korea's manufacturing capabilities, saying Korea is building "intelligence factories" that will power society and is building them together with NVIDIA. He also expressed his expectations for the future the two sides will create together.

Jensen Huang said, "It is a great honor to stand at the meeting point of two great nations and to join the journey in which the two countries are building the future together."

At the event, Jensen Huang looked back on his long relationship with Korea and emphasized his expectations for Korea's capacity to adopt technology and its manufacturing capabilities in the AI era.