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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Microsoft (MS) CEO Satya Nadella has arrived in South Korea for the first time in two years, kicking off his official schedule with meetings with Kim Young-seop, CEO of KT, Jung Ki-sun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai, and Suh Kyung-bae, Chairman of Amorepacific.
According to industry sources on Tuesday, Nadella met with Kim and Jung at KT’s Gwanghwamun headquarters around 5 p.m. Suh Kyung-bae, along with Amorepacific executives including CEO Kim Seung-hwan, also had a brief meeting with Nadella at another location in Seoul. During their discussion, they reportedly exchanged views on the impact of AI technology on the future of the beauty market.
Nadella's visit to South Korea coincides with the Microsoft AI Summit, set to take place in Seoul on March 26. His trip marks his first visit to the country since November 2022.
During his stay, Nadella is expected to hold a series of meetings with key executives from major Korean companies, a move widely seen as part of Microsoft's strategy to strengthen AI and cloud partnerships in the Korean market.
Strengthening AI and Cloud Collaborations in Korea
KT has established a strategic partnership with Microsoft. In September 2023, Kim Young-seop and Nadella met at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, where they agreed to jointly invest 2.4 trillion KRW (approximately $1.8 billion) over five years. The collaboration focuses on developing a secure public cloud and Korean AI solutions, both of which are expected to launch in the second quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai is integrating AI across its industries, including shipbuilding, energy, and construction, to drive digital transformation. The company is expanding AI-based automation and autonomous navigation technologies in shipbuilding and maritime sectors while leveraging AI for power infrastructure optimization and smart materials management.
Amorepacific is also advancing AI-driven personalized beauty solutions, an area discussed during Nadella's meeting with Chairman Suh.
Additionally, Nadella is scheduled to meet with LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan. The two companies previously discussed strategic AI collaboration at CES 2025, and this meeting is expected to focus on concrete implementation plans.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
